Nurture
by redspah
Summary: What started out as just a mundane delivery assignment turns into much more than a lowly grad student could've bargained for, ending up in a place no human was ever meant to see. Each chapter of the story may play out from multiple perspectives, with each individual perspective delimited with a header.
1. Mercy

== Chapter 1.1: Mercy

I was dying.

I pushed on and ran through the dense canopy as fast as my legs would let me, muscle spasms and piercing pain slowing me down more and more.

The faint satisfaction of me managing to Fire Blast that Seviper's face off to the point where it wouldn't be able to hunt much of anything ever again was dashed by the realization that at this rate, neither would I.

The debilitating effects of its venomous bite grew worse and worse with each passing moment, my hurting leg outright refusing to work anymore, making me trip on a jutting rock and collapse on the forest floor, pain beaming out of my left arm as it bore the brunt of the impact.

The swelling numbness and the trails of blood that leaked out of the bite made me realize just how utterly vulnerable I was at that moment, using all the strength I still had to drag myself up to a nearby tree and sit up against it, vision growing blurry as I desperately struggled to keep attention on any threats, trying to suppress any sounds that could draw attention to me-

And failing horribly, unable to hold back the yelps and howls of pain as my body felt like it was melting on the inside.

I was sweating profusely, barely able to do much more than let tremors shake my almost limp body as my vision was reduced to a blur of various shades of darkness, any and all details lost.

I was almost ready to completely surrender before hearing a trail of steps moving towards me through the underbrush, shaking eyes barely managing to make out something large, much larger than myself trying to sneak up on me.

I tried posturing defensively in desperation, growling lowly and emitting some fire out of my ears and paws- or at least trying to, barely even able to produce embers before my pathetic attempt was cut off in a yelp of stabbing pain, making me keel over.

I closed my eyes and waited for death, knowing I was utterly defeated without my opponent even making a single move. There were some sounds, ruffling, some bumps in the dark, but I didn't react to any of them, assuming whatever it was that was causing them was just trying to toy with its well-hunted, or at this point, almost well-scavenged prey.

The noises went on and on, making no sense. Some shrill and unnatural sounding, some gruffer and definitely made by a living being and then-

One right beside me.

I forced one of my eyes open and jerked my head backwards at the sudden disturbance, regretting it immediately afterwards as more pain came rushing in.

I spotted the lighter fluff and the small, dark body under it, immediately recognizing it as a Whimsicott. I've seen enough of them in my life to know how to deal with one, considering an Ember for just a brief moment before another round of intense pain clawed the idea out of my mind, a loud whine leaving my maw as I curled up a bit more, suffering growing almost too overwhelming for me to hold onto awareness.

I shuddered at the sudden sounds of impact, the situation only growing more confusing by the second. The sound of the clattering glass and metal that followed made me growl quietly, unique enough for me to realize I wasn't dealing with just any ordinary beast.

With more effort than I thought I was capable of at that moment, I focused my shaking eyes on the dark scene, reaching my less pained paw over to try and figure out what was even going on.

The larger figure's jolt and whimper at my action only piled up more confusion with how obviously weak I was at the moment. Nothing this large could actually get intimidated by such a pitiful sight, right?

Nonetheless, I turned my paw down towards the ground in response, even if I wanted to hurt the larger being I wouldn't be able to in this position, without even mentioning me being too weak to create much more than a couple sparks anymore.

Happy squeaks and the cuddling from Whimsicott continued, making me realize just how utterly weird it was that one was even getting close enough for me to see it in detail, let alone touching me- my fire would hurt them so horribly- w-why would one just huddle up to me like that?

A Whimsicott should run for the hills if one sees me and sees I'm still alive, not be so adorably, nonsensically affectionate.

More sounds, almost sounding like words, tone and inflections weirdly familiar if still alien... the whole of this mess wasn't getting even the tiniest bit clearer, but the important thing was that despite everything going on around me, I was still alive.

Somehow.

Eventually Whimsicott moved further down my body as the larger being seemed to gesture something- what was going on!?

Anything this large should be diving in to finish me off before enjoying a well scavenged meal, and not... doing whatever this one was. It made absolutely no sense, especially combined with its apparent fear of me, a half dead, half conscious Brai-

The jolt of pain from the wound interrupted my thought process as I felt something touch it in a very unpleasant way, shivering further at the weird sensation as the whole of my situation only got murkier and murkier.

A couple moments later there was the lightest prickling sensation on my leg, making me jolt slightly before it was supplanted by calming, almost refreshing warmth flowing out of it. I felt energy slowly flow into me from whatever it was that was doing it, feeling just that bit further away from death's door.

Whatever that sensation from earlier was, it was slowly reducing the burning pain in my legs and then the rest of my body, which combined with the sudden surge of nourishing warmth that followed it made me snap my eyes open and look towards the scene that was going on around the bleeding limb, desperately trying to piece the events together.

More so than the pain, the sheer confusion dug into my brain deeper and deeper, the realization making me freeze where I laid as it stilled my breath.

Are they... helping me?

The pain was slowly fading, the painful hotness all over my body decreasing to just my usual temperature as my muscles no longer felt like they were filled with knives. My trembling ceased as my vision slowly cleared, ultimately leaving me no longer horribly hurting-

Just really, really exhausted.

I jolted weakly at feeling something being pressed tightly against the wound, the sight of lighter fluff wrapped over with something I couldn't quite discern at the time making the realization that I was being helped fully set in, my gaze slowly rising up towards the larger figure once more-

Only for my eyes to go as wide as they could as I realized that I was being tended to by a human of all things, the sight briefly stilling my heart before my mind caught up, figuring out that if this one had already saved me from death, it probably wouldn't try to then immediately undo its handiwork.

It's impossible not to hear about the humans even in the thick of the woods, but the descriptions and tales of them and their actions always vary so much and so wildly that I always figured to avoid them to the extent of my abilities...

Can't avoid them now, huh.

The realization that human and what were presumably his companions saved me drilled deeper and deeper into my mind, the thought filling it up whole and not letting me focus on anything else- that is until Whimsicott yet again scrambled over to snuggle into my chest fur, its snuggling grabbing my attention once more.

The cotton ball felt ridiculously affectionate as it nuzzled and cuddled with me, the sensation feeling... pleasant, and really nice in a way I wasn't used to, unsure whether I could even remember ever feeling something like that.

I kept staring up at the human, mentally 'awwwh'-ing as it took the unusually sweet Whimsicott away, making me try reaching over towards my savior once more, softening my tense expression as much as I could, palm of my paw facing down to hopefully not appear as threatening.

At the very least, I wanted to make sure the human that saved me was real, and not just my dying imagination...

After a few tense moments the human let go of the cottonball before reaching over and grabbing my paw, the touch slightly cold but also gentle and comforting, not to mention soft.

I gently brushed my fingers on the human's paw, finally realizing that it's been looking me in the eyes for the past while, a wordless connection formed as we stared into each other.

This was real, and I sure as fuck wasn't letting that human just go like that.

I held the human's paw just a bit firmer, still nowhere near painfully but enough to be noticeable, only wanting to make sure it wouldn't leave me alone like that, still on the verge of death from exhaustion and so, so utterly vulnerable...

Some more sounds were said as my vision once more grew hazier, leftover venom and sheer exhaustion working in tandem to make me feel weaker and weaker as the seconds passed.

My other arm stung painfully with every move, still sore from being landed on, but I tried to persevere through it. After a moment, I slowly reached with it around the squeaking cottonball that was still busy trying to cuddle its hardest into me, trying to gently hold it in appreciation, too weak for anything else as my eyes closed shut.

I gasped quietly at feeling the human slide its arms underneath me, lifting both my limp body and the Whimsicott bundled up into me up with ease.

As surprised as I was at the human's sudden move, I couldn't help but to have the shock fade into appreciation, slightly turning towards the human as it held me in its arms, the aura of safety and comfort emanating from it calming me down a fair bit.

It didn't have any right to, I still had no idea why did the human even save me in the first place or what was it planning to do with me afterwards, but...

It just did. No matter how hard I tried to argue herself away from it, I did feel safe in its arms, despite my weakness and sheer exhaustion.

The travel was little more than a blur as I only barely kept forcing herself awake, instincts not letting me sleep until I knew I was really somewhere safe.

Despite that, I did blank out for just a moment and before I even knew it, I was inside... something, but definitely not underneath the forest canopy anymore.

I was laying on something much softer than even the most comfortable grass or sand as a weak source of light faintly illuminated the enclosed space. I realized I was laying down close to the human, enough so to see it in a bit more detail, even if I was still much too tired to really process what I was seeing.

The light also let me spot the item the human was holding up to my snout, one strained motion of my head determining it to be some sort of container filled with water. I rarely needed to drink on my own and never really felt thirsty, but I figured that the wounds and the exhaustion would more than justify some fluid intake, even if the taste was as disagreeable as always.

With a bit of effort I managed to down the entire cup, the modest amount still more than I ever remembered drinking at once, the sensation of being full almost weirdly relieving as I laid back down on the soft thing covering the ground, my body relaxing at the human's close proximity in such an enclosed space, figuring it most likely meant safety and being watched over.

And I definitely could use some of th-

I froze as I heard and then soon saw the spider tear through the side of this little space, cold air of the outside surging in, accompanied with a deafening screech of an Ariados that seemed to very much like the treats being laid out for it like that to serve itself to.

My brief shock was cut short as I realized the danger both myself and the human were in, the tiny bit of my renewed strength surging in a display of seething rage at my exhausted peace being disturbed like that, at the one instance of comfort and not having to constantly tend for myself being so violently carved away from me.

My frail body shook in anger for a moment as I focused and took the best swing my tired arm could manage, everything left of my power channeling into a single Fire Punch, hitting the spider on the underside of its head, the sheer heat intense enough to set it ablaze.

The fearsome creature screamed in sudden pain before scrambling its way back and away from us, the blaze lighting up the night as the Ariados skittered into the trees, orange flames creeping up around its body.

With thankfully none of them on the fabric of whatever it was that I was trying to find rest in.

Go back where you came from you ugly thing or I'll have to kick your ass again- oh who am I kidding, I'm barely conscious at this point, that punch took pretty much everything out of-

My own quiet squeak derailed my train of thought as the human suddenly pulled me into a close embrace, my mind racing as it had no idea what was going on before the rest of me noticed the human's shaking, its whimpering, its cold tears, only affirmed by my still quite limited psychic senses as they felt the human's overwhelming fear.

I was much too tired to even try to communicate mentally, deciding to just turn myself back towards the larger being, wrapping my better arm around it and returning the embrace the best I could.

You're welcome human.

I sighed quietly as I felt the human start calming down after a moment, freezing fear slowly being replaced with warmer, more pleasant sensations, a tiny smile lighting my expression up in the dark before a nasty gust of cold wind made us both shake and realize that we were still laying down next to a massive hole in the side of this... space.

Guess protection from the wind and rain is its main purpose?

Handy.

I could tell the human didn't appreciate the cold any more than I did, its shivers a clear enough proof of that. I raised an eyebrow as it got up and approached the hole, wondering how it was going to fix it- before realizing it already was, just very, very slowly.

And it's fabric to boot, so it's not like I could do much, hurting my rescuer by setting this place on fire was the absolute last thing I wanted to do.

However, as the human's repair went on, I realized it was only getting slower, its shaking body and paws wordlessly telling me everything I needed to know, giving me an idea about what I could do to help.

I carefully reached up and pressed my tail to the human's torso as it continued to work, hoping to at least keep my rescuer warm during the repair-

And realizing I've lost my wand at some point during the chaos.

Great.

The human seemed to get my intent, making me smile softly as some of its shivering ceased, frosty paws soon brought over to warm themselves.

I shivered the tiniest bit as the human pushed its paws into the fur of my tail, the briefest instant of coldness quickly undone with warmth and friction, thankfully not nearly enough to hurt it or set it on fire.

Didn't mean I couldn't use my tail for that purpose of course, but that it required a specific technique- one that fortunately couldn't be replicated on accident by the tall, nearly hairless biped as it dug into my fur for more warmth.

I raised an eyebrow in the dark when the human didn't take its now-warmed paws right away, the doubtful expression soon replaced by a flushed one as I felt the paws move to stroke my tail, the sensation both pleasant and... feeling weirdly good and comforting beyond just sensory pleasantness, confusing me for a moment before the human regretfully took the paws away.

Why did that touch feel so nice, and why was that human... embarrassed about it? That's what it looked like, unless a blush in humans meant something very different than in my own species.

Human's intermittent touch continued for a while, feeling just as nice every time, and just as confusing. Still, it did make the repairing go faster, and I couldn't complain about it feeling painful or unwanted, so there the tail stayed.

Eventually, the wind-rain-shield-thing was patched up at last, my worries about the human being too tired to wrap it up thankfully abated. I could finally close my eyes in some relative pe-

*patpat*

...

...

...

...why did the human do this, and why did it feel so nice?

I was too dazzled by the amazingly feeling touch to even hear the human's words or to try to resist as my rescuer slipped me into the sweetly soft bag. Only the light being turned off made me realize the human intended to finally go to sleep as it laid down next to me, making me feel... really, really safe, almost bizarrely so, in a way I had no idea was possible prior to today.

And then some more of the amazingly feeling pats, a tiny blush growing on my cheeks in the dark before the human rested its head and quickly fell asleep, my mind too racing at... everything that had just happened to let me sleep in that instant. Why did the human save and help me, and carry me here, and... pet me in these nice ways?

Why was I feeling so safe with someone I didn't even know until a couple hours ago, and why did that human make me feel so cared for and so... appreciated!?

The human's quiet, gentle snore took me out of my racing thoughts, and when I was finally sure it was asleep, I scooted just a bit closer towards it, resting my head next to its shoulder, wanting some more of that unexpected but oh so appreciated safety as I dozed off, more comfortably than I ever remembered before.

== Chapter 1.2: Risk

Another month, another trek through the woods to the town on the other side to pick up a package for Professor Rosewood.

The restricted nature of its contents required someone to pick it up in person, either her or someone with her written permission, delivering it to her doorstep was sadly out of the question.

And between sending her most trusted assistant on a days long hike through the dense woods with barely any real paths and driving few hours through the roundabout roads of the remote region to get there herself...

One option cost her substantially less in gas money, even in comparison to funding all the travel supplies for her assistant.

Plus I'd get to see the world some, or at least that's what the justification was.

I sighed as we approached the edge of the forest, camping gear and supplies strapped to my back as I double checked our coordinates one more time before we completely lost signal, the cool breeze of a Monday morning making me want to get right into it to warm myself up.

Lillywood was a day or two of travel straight ahead, depending on the weather, and as long as we could keep our heading we'd be back before weekend, able to enjoy one or two extra days off.

"At least it's peaceful, and I have a bit of company, eh Row, Whimsi?" - I smiled faintly, mumbling towards the lil' playful duo as the cottonball and owlet skipped along, pecking and patting at one another as we started making our way into the woods.

An uneventful day came and passed, couple stops to double-check our GPS coordinates and grab a bite of something to carry us through the day being pretty much the only notable events, until the evening at least, with the rest of the day spent on brisk, directed march.

The forest itself was dark, thick canopy blocking out most of the little remaining light as the sun slowly descended, Nincada buzzing to life all around as our party searched for a place to set up camp for the night.

Assembling the tent was becoming second nature at this point with how many times I've been sent out for parcel carrying, poles sliding through canvas until up popped a shelter from the elements.

One larger meal later I was about ready to dive into my tent and get some rest, even if it were to come very early. After all, the sooner the sleep, the sooner the waking, and the sooner the waking, the sooner we could get going, grab the package, and start heading back home.

"Time to call it a night you two." - I looked around for Row and Whimsi only to find the two not playing anymore, but rather staring off into the darkness, looking intensely focused on something. I was about to try to snap them out of their stupor before hearing the distant cries of pain myself, locking in place next to them.

"Whimsi, Row, s-stay close." - I grabbed my bag of supplies and slowly took off into the growing night, following the trail of strained noises before I made it over to its source, stopping dead in my tracks at seeing what was causing it.

In front of us sat a humanoid fox-like Pokémon, slumping against a tree as its whole body shook in tune with its yelps of pain, fiery eyes chaotically darting around the tree line. Its hot coloration combined with its outright glowing eyes and flame like tufts of fur left little confusion as to what element it had the affinity for, the same one my two lil' ones were by far the most vulnerable to.

I didn't dare move at the sight of the fiery fox, gulping audibly as it focused its glowing eyes in our direction, its cross expression making me want to run for the hills.

I pulled Whimsi and Row behind myself as I saw the fox begin to flare up, wanting to protect them should the worst come- that is, before it seemed to lose control in a fit of pain, flames that were building on its ears and paws reduced to embers as it fell over onto its side, eyes clenching shut.

I gestured to the two lil' ones to stay put, knowing full well they would be burnt to a crisp if things got ugly, before getting down on my knees and reaching into the bag, quickly pulling out the dex.

"I-its okay, foxie, it's gonna be okay..." - I tried to keep my tone as non-threatening as possible as I opened the portable encyclopedia to figure out what the fox even was, and if we had anything on hand that could help it.

"It'll all be okay, I just need to take a look at your wound and figure out what we can do to help..." - I tried to maintain eye line with the fox as I spoke softly, before aiming the device at the injured Pokémon and letting it do its loud, distracting magic-

```  
Braixen: the Fox Pokémon. Braixen has a twig stuck in its tail. The friction from its tail fur causes it to set the twig alight, which it uses for signaling and combat.

The little red device electronically beeped out, myself annoyed that such a powerful device didn't have a silent mode for intense moments like these. I scrolled through the dex entry for a bit more information, finding enough basics to at least know that the medicine we had on hand would... not work.

Oh no.

I slid the dex into a pocket of my pants, trying to think up how else to help the injured fox before the cottonball's sing-song cries coming from Braixen's direction caught my attention, a quick glance revealing that Whimsi was trying to affectionately nuzzle against the fox's cheek, the sight filling me with panic.

"Whimsi, I said stay put!" - I squeaked out in a panicking whisper, trying to pay attention to the fox that could easily scorch my friend at any moment as I tried to get her out of there.

"Whimsuh?" - The ball of fluff looked up curiously at the Braixen, cottony hair staining with blood as she softly nestled against it, seemingly unaware of the danger she was in.

"Whimsi get back here before you get hurt!" - I rushed over to try to scoop up the Whimsicott before stumbling on the undergrowth and crashing right in front of the fox, groaning painfully as my hand erupted with dull pain.

"Owwh- no, no, no-" - I looked up at the fox and Whimsi in distress, especially now that the former had opened its eyes once more, staring at me with myself being stuck in the perfect roasting position.

I cursed quietly to myself as I tried to scramble back up, freezing in place when I glanced up at Braixen only to find it aiming its paw over at me, making me squeak out a whimper at the inevitable heat that was about to follow.

"B-braixen, i-its okay, we are here to help you. J-just wait a second a-and we will help!" - I tried to plead the best I could while bracing himself for the fox's defense, my body tensing up before both of us were distracted by another squeak-

"Whimsi!" - The affectionate cottonball softly hugged Braixen the best she could, burying her face in fox's stained fluff, making the latter pause before thankfully aiming its paw away from me.

"Whimsi, your affection is going to get us all killed..." - I shook a bit as I got up and slid close enough to look the fox over, quickly noticing the seeping wound on its leg, a nasty bite mark with blood trickling out of it, its purple, poisoned hue visible despite the faint light.

"Poisoned? Y-you got yourself into a bit of a tussle then, didn't you Braixen." - I mumbled out to our lil' group, trying to figure out what we could do if anything. It seemed the fox really was to weak to really pose much of a threat anymore, emboldening me enough to take a bit of a chance-

"Braixen, I'm going to try to get this would patched up for you, please don't move too much. Whimsi, can you give me a hand?" - Whimsicott craned her head a bit, mumbling her namesake a few more times as she waited for some direction, ready to help her newfound friend.

"Whimsi, be gentle, we are going to get this poison out and don't want to hurt them here. Leech Seed, please." - I calmly explained as I pointed to the open wound, hoping my intentions would transfer over despite the language barrier.

The cottonball looked up at me before firmly nodding and producing a small seed that she soon carefully planted in Braixen's open wound, small vines snaking out and wrapping around its leg as the poison was slowly drained.

"Row! Can you give us a wing?" - Rowlet took a moment to tilt his head before flapping over to rest on top of Whimsicott, beak pecking lightly at the leeching seed before looking at me and 'Row?'-ing.

"Row, can you try to Synthesis maybe? Keep the Braixen stable while this poison gets drained." - The owlet looked at me in brief confusion before reaching over with one leg, lightly holding the fox's thigh with his claws before a rejuvenating energy flowed through them, glowing faintly.

I peered down at the wound and the seed within it, a few minutes passing before the purple toxin seemed to have cleared out of Braixen's system, the leeching seed finally blooming and then immediately wilting before falling out.

Now what to do about the wound itself.

"Don't have anything for the wound... This might be a bit uncomfortable, but should keep you stable little one. Whimsi, could I get a little extra cotton?" - I asked as I tore at the sleeve of my shirt, securing a patch of fabric ready to bind the wound up with while Whimsi shook off a bundle of soft, pure white cotton, making a large and soft bandaid.

I placed the cotton against Braixen's wound, then firmly tied the scrap of fabric that used to be my shirt's right sleeve across the wound, securing everything in place and taming the flow of blood.

After finishing tying off the wound, I looked up to see the fox staring directly at me, fiery red eyes glowing in the twilight, making my body shiver at the intensity.

"T-thank you Row and Whimsi, b-but we s-should probably leave this one to their rest now and make camp." - I softly muttered out while still keeping eye contact with Braixen, trying to pull the Whimsicott from its chest before she could happily try to nest in there again, the warmth no doubt attracting her.

"Whimsi, please, we have done what we could, but we should leave this tired one to their rest." - I tried to reason with the cottonball before I finally managed to pluck her out of Braixen's fur only to have her squeak and wriggle in protest, bemoaning 'Whimsiwhimsi' filling the air as Row flapped over to perch on my shoulder.

"Whimsi, we can't go and hug any old wild Pokémon we find, its dangerous-" - My words were cut off as I turned to look at Braixen holding up its paw towards me once more, this time much less standoffish and much more... struggling?

I gently placed Whimsi back onto the ground, the cottonball wasting no time in rushing back up into the fluffy nest she had been building in fox's fur as I looked at its eyes and paw for a few more moments before extending my hand to hold it.

Braixen's hold was weak but obviously desperate, its warm body still weakly shuddering. Much to my surprise, its fur was softer than even Whimsi's cotton despite the species' fieriness.

"W-we could try seeing if this one can come back with us to the camp, at least rest the night with a bit of protection before they go off on their business." - I eventually muttered out, really hoping I wasn't making a mistake in offering some temporary shelter for the ravaged fox.

"Whimsi!" - The fluffball cheered happily at my words before continuing her huddling against the fox shaped heater.

I soon noticed the fox's eyes starting to close, taking this as a much needed sign to watch it through its recovery. After a bit of deliberation, I slid my hands underneath it before hoisting it and the Whimsicott still firmly snuggling into it up, cradling the fox in my arms before taking off and slowly walking our group back to the camp.

"It'll be okay lil' one, we will keep you safe for now, just hang in there for us and get some rest."

I readjusted my hands a few times to find a good means of cradling the half asleep Braixen, fingers brushing through its soft fur, tingling from the thick coat of soft warmth.

So soft, so warm, so... nice when it's not scared.

Soon we made it back to the darkened camp, laying Braixen down on my sleeping bag inside the tent as everyone started to settle in for the night. The tent was nothing to write home about, but was at least a nice shelter from the elements, and the sleeping bag was a much softer experience than sleeping on the rough ground.

After we all settled in, with my two companions huddling closer to me for some warmth, I flicked on a small lamp and looked over at the semi-conscious Braixen, quickly reaching into my bag and pulling out a small bottle of water and a metal cup, filling it up before holding it to the fox's maw-

"Just a little water Braixen, it'll make you feel better."

After a couple moments the fox lifted its body up a bit to investigate the cup, one paw reaching to hold it before it slowly drank its contents, shuddering ever so slightly before laying back down and handing the cup back to me.

"Good good. You'll be safe here Braixen, just try to get some rest-" - A loud skittering and chattering from outside the tent cut me off, growing in intensity before cover was sliced open by a sharp horn, a large red and black spider screeching inward at us all an instant later.

"Oh, no no no- nrrrngggrnn-" - I froze up at the sight of the Ariados approaching, its screech followed by the cacophony of its clacking appendages sending me into a cold, chattering sweat, unable to even speak out a command as my companions were no less transfixed with fear, unable to come up with anything that would work in defense.

The sight of the skittering beast inching its way closer filled up my entire perception, freezing fear completely stilling any thoughts that weren't those of terror. It was so overwhelming I didn't even initially feel the intense heat growing next to me- but I definitely saw it an instant later as Braixen's burning paw slammed into the creeping Ariados, the beast charring from the sheer heat before screeching and running off into the night, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.

The only things it left behind were a gaping, slightly singed hole in the fabric of the tent, the frosty wind that had began forcing its way in through it, and four horrified campers forced to suffer in it.

I slowly settled back down next to the Braixen as the fear's grip eventually waned, tears welling up in my eyes before I pulled the fox against myself and held it tight, hands massaging into its back in intense thanks, accompanied by a few more whimpering sobs and shivering from terror and cold alike.

I held onto it tightly until the forest itself settled back down to its normal level of calm, the ringing in my ears from the screech ceasing and body starting to regain its composure. Only then I noticed that my two lil' ones were nestling in between me and the fiery fox, unafraid of it despite its display of power.

"T-thank you Braxy..." - I stuttered out before finally realizing what in Arceus' name I was doing, panic immediately swelling within me as I tried to let go of the no doubt irritated fox-

Only to find it holding me back, the unexpected affection slowly settling my nerves down as I held onto the hug. My tears eventually dried up as fear turned to comfort and security in the newfound alliance, the unlikely embrace continuing for a few more moments before I gave Braixen a few light pats on its back and sat back up.

Thank you, friend.

The wind howled a bitter night chill causing me to shiver intensely, this time firmly just out of cold as I looked up at the ruined side of the tent.

"Oh this hole is going to be a fun one..." - I muttered to myself before pulling out an emergency sewing kit, soon reaching over to start patching up the broken canvas. This was definitely going to take a while even in the best of circumstances, and the piercing cold wasn't helping any.

Still, I had to push through, the hole wouldn't patch itself.

Loop, loop, loop- thread through canvas. Simple loops and nothing more. Just enough so that we could sleep before my hands froze off. The growing numbness in my fingers kept causing me to drop the needle, luckily still attached to the thread, lest someone finds something pokey in the night.

Another uncontrollable shiver and drop of the needle later my thoughts shifted over into worry, concern that this patch job would literally never finish and that everyone would just have to curl up and hope it wouldn't get any colder swelling with every minute and with every numbness induced slip up.

Before my thoughts could get any darker however, I felt... warmth. Soft, fluffy warmth pressing on me, much too large and too warm to be Whimsi or Row.

Besides, these two were most likely already asleep, much better suited to deal with night chills.

Peering down, I could make out Braixen's thick furred tail blanketing my torso, providing ample heat to keep the cold away. I buried my hands into the fluff for a few moments, rubbing them together to build up a bit of friction and heat, happy to have sensation return to my fingertips.

Soft topmost fur with a rather rough, but intensely warm undercoat, the end result maybe not as delightfully soft as the neighbor's Delcatty, but in my current situation, so much more comfortable.

I couldn't help but get lost in the sensations, stroking Braixen's tail long after my hands had warmed up, a gentle twitching from the fox breaking me out of my trance, face turning beet red as I quickly went back to work, thread in hand.

I continued to patch up the hole, keeping my hands near the fox's fur as I pushed on, pace quickening drastically with the extra nimbleness of less horribly frozen fingers.

Eventually, I finally managed to tie off a rough but functional full patch, wind chill ceasing and only a trickle of cold air seeping in anymore, overwhelming cold reduced to something much more manageable, especially with the support of the newly rescued fox.

I placed the needle back into its pouch before turning towards the Braixen and giving it a gentle pat on the head, this fur even softer than the arms or tail, feeling almost velvety.

Guess the head doesn't need to set things on fire like the tail does.

"Thank you Braixen, wouldn't have been able to do this without you. But now, we should rest." - I gently ushered the fox into the sleeping bag, wrapping the rescuee in its padded warmth, followed by gathering any extra clothes I could find to form a pillow and blanket for myself before finally settling in and turning the light off.

I lied down right next to Braixen, stroking its head a few more times before muttering goodnight to everyone and resting my own head down, feeling some more of the wonderful warmth as I dozed off for the night...


	2. Warmth

== Chapter 2.1: Warmth

A gentle morning sun lit the impossible landscape as I skipped across the fluffy clouds, reds and yellows piercing the endless sky and lighting it up with uncountable rays of light.

My hands brushed lightly against the all encompassing fluff as I dove into the endless softness, it was so warm, so soft, I really could stay there forev-

"Row-let!"- The owlet chirped out right above my head before flapping as intensely as he could to get me to wake up, the sunlight peeking through the tiny holes in the tent from the night before informing us of how late it already was.

It had been a while since I had dreamed this vividly.

Everything felt so real, the warmth and the softness- hell, I could swear I still felt it even while awake, the sensation of cloud-like fluff on my fingers pushing me to pull my eyes open-

Only to see my hands deep into Braixen's fur as it huddled against my chest, my subconscious apparently having wrapped my arms around the injured fox as we slept. I couldn't help but muffle a giggle at it slowly stirred back into awareness as well, snout wriggling in a nonverbal demand for more time to sleep, body still wracked with exhaustion from yesterday.

So cute this little Braixen. I could just pet it all day long.

I waved Row to settle down and rest a little bit longer to give our guest some more time to come to on its own before we started the day off, just silently watching over the fiery fox with my arms still wrapped around it.

After a few moments and just as many groans, Braixen finally took a peek at its surroundings, briefly scanning the now well lit interior of the tent before glancing towards me, its expression shifting into focus as it took my features in before it...

Smiled softly?

I didn't have too much time to fully parse its expression before it was replaced with a strained grimace as the fox's body shifted inside the bag, followed soon by it sliding its arms out and slowly sitting up, looking somewhere between exhausted and dazzled.

_*grrroooaaawwwll*_

I pulled myself back a bit, briefly confused at the unusual noise before giggling as I realized it was just the loud rumbling of the fox's stomach. Rowlet joined in on noisemaking soon after, flapping and chirping at his own peckishness.

"Alright, alright, food time! Just give me a minute to set it all up!" - I chuckled at the growing commotion before taking my bag and making my way out of the tent, joining serenely sunbathing Whimsi as I sat down in the middle of the clearing and started preparing our breakfast, pulling out all the ingredients one by one.

A small travel stove, a pot to cook in, a bottle of water, a small curry brick, a handful of dried veggies, some herbs the Professor had pointed out to me in the past as edible, and last but not least, nice thick noodles.

As the hearty curry mixture heated up, stock thickening from the concentrated flavor and noodles alike, earthy spices of turmeric and basil started wafting through the camp, exciting the two lil' ones to the point where their happy squeaks eclipsed the clanging and scraping of my mixing spoon.

Braixen interestingly enough stayed silent after managing to crawl over and take a seat next to me in front of the tiny stove, staring at it blankly as my focus shifted back towards the cookery.

I prepared the bowls as the dish quickly approached completion, swirling the mixture some more as a motion to my side caught my attention once again.

Braixen ever so slowly tilted to the side, trying to peer down at the heating element underneath the pot before losing its balance and unceremoniously collapsing, myself stifling a chuckle in response as I put down the mixing spoon to help it back up.

"Be careful, it's gonna be hot-" - I gently chided as I reached over to pull the still obviously exhausted fox off the ground and resting it in my lap, making sure it wouldn't fall over once more as I wrapped up the cooking.

Huh, fire Pokémon and a hot plate. I wonder if it could actually touch it~

I shook my head a bit, quelling that thought before I let Braixen explore the hot plate too deeply and hurt itself, turning off the burner and declaring breakfast ready.

With the three bowls filled up with appropriate amounts of thick curry for each of the critters around me and myself being left to eat right out of the pot, I gently picked up Braixen's bowl and lightly shook the fox to catch its attention, passing over the bowl-

"Eat up little one. Hope you enjoy."

I was about to dive into my own portion, reusing the mixing spoon for eating while I kept an eye on the Braixen to make sure nothing would happen- only to watch in shock as the fox started to drink the molten hot food right away, seemingly finding the temperature unobstructive.

I sighed in relief and blew on a few bites of my own as the fox devoured its portion in record time before laying the now empty bowl down on the grass and relaxing into me.

I smiled softly and set my own bowl down to let it cool a bit before bringing my hands to pat the fox's head and hold it just a bit closer, closing my eyes as it leaned into me, the soft warmth feeling downright dreamy.

After a moment I felt it sneak one paw out of my hold and reach it around me, warm digits holding the back of my head in what I assumed was this species' way of expressing affection.

So cute this little Braixen-

_*"Thank you, human."*_

The sudden words startled me enough for my eyes to shoot open as I looked around for their source, growing only more confused by Whimsi or even Row with his sharp ears seemingly having not heard anything.

Who else could have said it though...

My surprise slowly waned as I looked down at the half-asleep Braixen in my arms with its paw still pressing itself against my head, the realization that the sound seemed to be echoing inside me rather than coming from any external source pushing me to the unlikely conclusion-

"You?" - I asked the Braixen in sheer confusion, continuing to gently pet its head and tummy alike.

"You can speak lil' one?"

I was baffled by the whole situation as the Braixen wriggled in enjoyment under my pets, its own happy noises making me think I just misheard somethin-

_*"Y-yes, I can speak!"*_ \- The voice rung out in my head once more, my focus letting me actually make out things about it instead of my brain short circuiting into utter bafflement. It was very much feminine, rather young, and most of all, really, really tired.

I was stunned into silence by the Braixen responding to me, having absolutely no idea how to react to something like this.

It, or rather, she must've caught on, tilting her head a bit to look at me with clear worry on her face, the sight breaking my heart a bit.

This might have been a completely new thing for me, but in the end she was still a friend, friend who's saved my life no less, and if anything, this only made her more special to me.

I held her tightly once more, my pets and scritches resuming in full force as the fox wiggled underneath them, eventually breaking into what almost sounded like slightly barky laughter, her warm self trying to simultaneously wiggle into me and away from the tickling affection before I slowed down, easing out into calm pets and just holding her closely.

"Never met a Pokémon who could speak before, especially not such an affectionate one, teehee. My name's Zephyr, and I hope you're feeling better Braxy."

Row flapped over and rested on my shoulder, staring happily at the fox in my arms as it recited it's name a few more times in attempted conversation, seemingly having figured out that I was conversing with her and wanting some of that himself.

The owlet's display made Braxy chuckle as she reached over to pet Row with the one paw that wasn't still pressing against my head, the little bird cooing in enjoyment as she responded to me-

_*"I'm definitely feeling much better than I did when you found me, that's for sure. I... I can't thank you enough for saving me there... Zeph."*_

I could only smile and continue to pet the adorable fox in response, the immense gratitude in her voice making me feel even warmer on the inside.

"I'm so glad, but no need for thanks really, you saved us last night as well. I-I'm not sure what I would have done if you weren't there..."

Brief confusion at her turning around in my embrace was replaced with a soft blush as she embraced me as closely as she could in her state, arms gently squeezing me as I heard her soft response-

_*"You're welcome."*_

My cheeks reddened brighter than her fur as I happily clutched the sweet fox in my arms, enjoying her warmth in the frigid morning. My hands ran up and down her soft back, fingernails lightly scratching the skin as I enjoyed our affectionate closeness.

We sat like that for a few minutes, Whimsi soon joining in our wordless embrace- or rather almost wordless, with the two little ones occasionally squeaking something out in between each other as they huddled with me and Braxy.

My stomach eventually reminded me I should also eat before the food went cold, making me chuckle as I let go of the sweet fox, gently scooting her over to one side of my lap while I rested the pot on he other side, filling my tummy with the remaining meal as she continued to lean on me.

A comforting sigh of fullness later I put the pot away before reaching over to stroke Braxy's fur some more, catching her attention before asking-

"So, Braxy, we were actually heading to the town on the other side of the forest and should probably get going soon. Do you think you will be okay now? If not, you are more than welcome to tag along for as long as you'd like."

I watched her slowly consider the offer, my excitement fading as her content smile seemed to slowly drain away, only to be replaced with worry as she finally responded before slowly pushing herself away from me and onto her legs-

_*"D-don't worry, I-I-I'll be alright..."*_

A frown crept up onto my face as I watched her decline the offer, saddened that she wasn't exactly interested in coming along. I was really starting to enjoy the added company, especially one as affectionate, not to mention as talkative as hers.

As she started to head off though, sadness turned into alarm as she squeaked out in pain, myself running back up to her and holding her from falling over once more, trying to comfort her-

"I-it's fine if you don't want to come along, but we can stay back a few days and help you tend to that injury if you'll let us. I couldn't live with myself letting you head back out there in this condition."

I quickly looked over the bandage, the redness making it clear that while it did tame the bleeding, it was in a dire need of redressing.

"And we've also got a hospital a couple days onward that will have you feeling good as new if you are up for it. I could probably carry you for a bit of it too to give your leg a rest.."

I waited a few moments for a response which wouldn't come, her increasingly dejected look draining me of any joy.

"Braixen?" - I sullenly asked, looking at her in distress, slowly ruffling her hair in defeat as I held her that much closer.

I didn't want to let her go, especially not in such a vulnerable state, and especially not-

Not in tears.

I sat down next to her and carefully pulled her into another hug, not knowing what was the problem, only that no matter what, I wanted to be there for her.

She only trembled harder in my arms as her sobs grew more and more intense, any attempts to comfort her seemingly not working right n-

_*"...failure..."*_

The faint word caught my attention, voice distinctively Braxy's, but distant and feeling like it wasn't aimed at me, more so at... herself.

I sat in silence as I heard more and more of the hurtful words, Braxy's self loathing intense enough for it to be audible even to me, pushing me to finally do something.

I gently tilted her chin up towards me as warm tears dripped down her cheeks, our eyes meeting before she clenched hers shut as I spoke-

"Braixen, you are so much stronger than you let on. W-without you we'd be spider food yesterday- You saved us, a-and that means a lot to me, to all of us..." - Braxy's head softly shook as I spoke, my hold only tightening around her as I desperately wanted to push whatever it was that was making her feel this horrible about herself as far away as I could.

"Oh Braixen, please, try to see, you are special, worth something precious... to me." - I pulled Braxy into a tight embrace, rubbing the back of her head, fingers slowly tracing her fur and skin as my body shivered in her fears along with her.

We sat almost motionless for the longest time, ambiance of the forest the only sounds I could hear anymore, even Braxy's self loathing having faded out as she trembled in my embrace.

The silence was only broken by Braixen's eventual response, her words as quiet as they were small-

_*"I-I'm worthless..."*_

"Far from it. Having a rough day doesn't make you any less special Braxy. I've had plenty and look where that brought me, face to face with a sweet little Braixen who just saved mine and my two friends' lives. You're worth so much more to me than you think, and I'm so sorry you feel so worthless..."

_*"B-but I'm not special, I-if not for you, I'd be dead meat already, I don't deserve y-your help, o-or y-you caring about me."*_

"And if not for you, we'd be spun up in a web somewhere, h-having our b-bl..." - My arms went numb as I caught myself thinking of the Ariados once more, the harrowing fear creeping back in before Braxy's warm embrace banished it away, her hold weak and quivering, but calming all the same.

She held me as close as she could for a while, our fears slowly fading away in shared warmth as her trembling slowly ceased, her eventual words accompanied with more warm tears-

_*"I-I don't want to leave you..."*_

And I don't want you to leave. Please, don't leave, please.

"A-and you don't have to, little one. There is plenty of space in our little group and we'd all love to have you here." - I claimed with a bit of false confidence, trying to seem like a pillar of stability and hope despite still feeling weak.

I felt her paw slowly reach up behind my head, gently pressing it into the side of hers, the sensation soft, warm, electric even, the bits of psychic energy softly stimulating my temples as I heard the tinge of happiness in her tone-

_*"R-really?"*_

I returned her affection as my shaky hand reached up behind her own foxy head, holding it that much closer, the sensation of her soft fur against my palm calming me beyond words.

"Yes, really. You deserve to feel safe and appreciated Braxy, and I did really mean it- we'd love to have you here, myself most of all..." - I muttered out the last few words in embarrassment as the lil' fox held me tighter still, her few remaining sobs muffled in my shirt before I heard her respond, her voice so tired, but also so, so grateful-

_*"T-thank you, Zephyr, thank you so, so much..."*_

I ruffled her fur some more, smiling widely as I closed my eyes and held the exhausted Braixen closer-

"You're welcome Braxy. You're more than welcome-"

An unexpected noise caught my attention, a sort of a soft purr that rumbled against my front, making me take a look down at her- only to find her snoring quietly, asleep in my arms.

I couldn't help but giggle in response, guess she was so anxious about it all that when it cleared the exhaustion could finally kick in.

She deserves all the rest she can get.

I gently lifted her up and laid her down close to the tent as the rest of our group could finally start wrapping our stay up and preparing for the day to come.

The dishes were cleaned and water refilled in a nearby stream, the resident Mudkips apparently enjoying the taste of my leftovers to the point where they waddled much closer to me than I've ever seen any do before.

Sorry lil' ones, rest is already in our bellies.

Row's help made disassembling the tent not much more than a speedbump, and soon we were finally ready to head out, with the only thing left to figure out being one fiery fox, still resting on the grass.

Well, she's not that heavy...

***

Who could've known that 'not that heavy' multiplied by many, many hours of march through the thick of the woods equaled 'my arms hurt, ow'.

To my dismay we still weren't anywhere near close to clearing the forest by the time the sun started its race to the other side of the horizon, forcing us to set up camp earlier than usual while having made it through only a fraction of a distance we usually manage on a usual day.

Well, this was hardly a usual day, with a Braixen shaped unusualness slowing our progress- not that I cared that much, Professor Rosewood would definitely understand the delay and the slowdown would very likely be a temporary thing.

Who knew, maybe Braxy could even help with carrying some stuff once we had a chance to get her patched up in Lillywood.

In either case, that was the potential future, and the present reality was that she was still really exhausted, anxieties and injuries alike sapping her of any strength she might have ordinarily had.

And there's no better way to get it back than some warm, hearty food.

"Braxy... Braxy?" - I softly cooed into her ear, gently brushing the fur of her snout she wriggled back into consciousness, glancing around as she realized the change in scenery, and that our camp was thankfully already set, some more curry already being brewed in our pot.

"Hopefully, that wasn't too bumpy of a ride for you, lil' one, I'm not really used to carrying anyone larger than Whimsi here, heh." - I gestured towards the little cottonball floating along with Row, both pecking and poking at one another in mid air, playing excitedly as they awaited their evening meal.

I smiled in relief as she gently shook her head, still looking like she was ready to doze off once more at any moment before I brought up one thing I was really excited to show her-

"Oh! And I got something for you!" - My eyes lit up in excitement as I rummaged around for where I had placed the newfound treasure, showing it off to you in the evening light-

"So, while you were asleep, I did a little research on my dex and it say that you Braixen are very found of your sticks and you didn't seem to have one. Well, I might have scavenged a pretty nice one for you while we were hiking!"

The stick was long and thin, with plenty knots adorning it. A stick for sure, but one that was simultaneously cumbersome and fragile with only appearance to salvage it, the realization that it might have been a very poorly thought up gift making me worry as I watched her reaction.

She gently grabbed the stick as she sat up on the grass, her paws roaming along its length as she seemed to be pondering on something for a while before...

Tearing up?

A handful of tears glittered in the sunset as she smiled and reached behind herself to stick the stick into her tail, looking downright giddy despite the exhaustion, making sure it was positioned correctly before turning towards me and pulling me into a deep hug, her muzzle nuzzling and sniffling into my side as I heard her happy words-

_*"Th-t-thank you so much..."*_

I was surprised but thrilled that the stick was so well received, scritching her big fluffy ears while she snuggled into me, my arms ready to wrap themselves around her to return the affection before a spluttering noise reminded me of something more urgent-

"You are very welcome Braxy, I'm so glad you like it- but now, food!" - I clapped my hands together and begun serving all the pokes once more, rationing the portions for everyone gathered before taking the pot once more for myself, wooden serving spoon my weapon of choice as usual.

Braxy once more got to eating right away, myself hoping that the added hotness was at least reinvigorating for her.

This time she took her time with eating, the thought she wanted to give the rest of us a fighting chance at the contest of having dinner making me chuckle to myself as she scooted over closer and closer, soon sitting on my lap once more as we both downed our portions, shivering at the growing cold.

Guess we'll have to call it a night soon, wash the bowls and the pot with the water on hand and then straight into the tent-

As if on cue, Braxy perked up with intent, reaching to grab her freshly gifted stick before it burst aflame by the touch of her tail, the sight already impressive in itself, but downright paling in comparison to what came after.

With a flick of her stick she launched a handful of wisps of warm, orange flame, scattering them in the air above the camp and making them hover there, softly lighting up the forest around us akin to a floating campfire, with gentle warmth emanating from it to match.

My shivers continued, not anymore from the lack of heat, but rather from the awe of watching the world brighten back up and begin to warm.

The other two companions were startled to action, with Row planting himself firmly on the ground, hooting and hopping at the fiery globes before ruffling up his feathers once the warmth began to spread, cooing gently. Whimsi as Whimsi would floated as close as she could to the globes herself, the bundle of cotton giggling and frizzing a bit at the intense heat before returning to Braxy in a warm, blanket-like hug, the cotton hair holding the heat well as she burrowed into her fur.

"W-wow..." - I didn't have words for the amazing display in front of me, my hand gently patting Braxy's head as I watched the flickering flames, transfixed by the dance of light.

"Y-you are incredible, you know?" - I muttered quietly towards the fiery fox in her element, waiting until she had returned the stick to its proper position before holding her closer, a quiet purr leaving her before I heard her response, voice much less tired, and much, much happier-

_*"As are you!"*_

"No no, This... This is something else."

I reached up just bit closer to the nearest wisp, the floating flames just as hot if not hotter than a real campfire and much more impressive as it stayed suspended in mid-air.

I couldn't help but to pull all three of my friends nice and close and just relax underneath the calming light, all four of us snuggling contentedly as we stared into the multicolored flames, their hues ranging from crimsons to yellows, all the shades in between having a chance to shine.

The night sped onwards around us as we all snuggled together, minutes fading into one continuous blur as we relaxed after a long day, soft warmth from Braxy's fur and flames alike relaxing my aching muscles.

It must have been an hour or two, the four of us snuggling with each other before a small 'crack' stirred me out of my dreamy, fluffy trance, only to find another little fluff ball cautiously approaching the floating flames from the shadows.

No bigger than a Poochyena, its purple and white fur stood up on end as it approached, eyeing all of us for but a moment before taking a space on the opposite side of the camp, curling into a small ball itself and resting under the campfire-like warmth.

I looked down to Row and Whimsi with a bit of worry, both of them having to in the past have scared off wild Pokémon that were getting too threatening, but something about this one seemed less interested in us and more interested in the flame itself.

"Row-row?" - Row looked at me in a bit of confusion at my unease, his eyes darting around the forest floor and nearby trees, focusing shortly on many other sets of small eyes and bodies that I had missed approach in my bliss- Hoothoot, Shroomish, and a bunch of other little bugs who had silently snuck their way towards the warmth, all peacefully basking in its glow, just meters away from us.

I guess we all just want the same thing in the end. A little warmth at the end of the day.

I pulled Braxy ever closer, hands burrowing into her fur as I watched the other Pokes shift and turn near the fire, trying to identify the ones I knew and wishing the dex had a mute for the rest.

My mind wandered over to the lil' foxy's anxieties from this morning, and how distant they all seemed right now as our whole group gently snuggled together, wordlessly enjoying and appreciating each other's presence.

"So, how's staying with us so far?" - I chuckled softly as I ruffled Braxy's cheek, her quiet squeaky laughter warming my heart up even more so than her flames.

_*"Wonderful beyond words."*_ \- She rubbed the back of her head against me as we all felt the glee behind her message, especially as she followed up with-

_*"H-how long will I be able to stay for? I'm getting used to not dying, heh."*_ \- Her joking chuckle hid a real question underneath, letting out just a trickle of worry, making me pull her in closer still as I nuzzled the top of her head-

"For as long as you want, even if it that means forever." - I felt her freeze as she heard my words, evidently not expecting that particular response as she slowly turned to face me, an unspoken question clear on her muzzle-

"Yes, really." - I broke into soft laughter as she outright pounced onto me, her tight hug accompanied with squeaks and tears of sheer, pure bliss as she nuzzled into my front, my arms slowly wrapping around her in return.

I sat back up afterwards, still holding the lil' fox as close as I could with one arm as the other dug into my bag before pulling out an apple-sized plastic orb, its red and white coloration unmistakable for anything else.

"I don't really use these things very much, but it is what people use to signify the bond between Pokémon and human. And, well... I'd like you to have it, for as long as you would keep it." - I explained softly as Braxy looked at the orb with a bit of suspicion, not touching it just yet as she asked in response-

_*"W-what does it do?"*_

"To be quite honest, I'm not entirely sure. They tell us it's like a little home for Pokémon with everything they could want, but I don't know how that all fits into a tiny little ball." - I try to explain it the best I can, fully realizing how little sense it was all making before following up-

"That said, Row and Whimsi have their own and they sometimes pop into them when they want some space or some alone time, but don't really stay in there that much. But, it would be your space whenever you need or want it." - She slowly nodded in response, expression still confused, but with the tiniest hints of realization creeping back in-

_*"And i-it'll be mine?"*_

"If you will have it-" - I was about to pet Braxy some more as squeaks from off to the side caught our attention, Whimsi looking upset as she glared at an Aipom that had made its way over, its hand-tail holding our fluffy companion by her cotton.

Before we could say anything she decided on a solution herself, sending a small puff of yellow powder towards the purple monkey from her fluff, the Aipom soon collapsing on the grass with an alarmed expression, its muscles twitching uselessly as Whimsi huffed and scrambled her way back towards us, an indignant expression on her face.

Braxy had to stop herself from laughing too loud at the scene, her own touch received much better by our cottony companion as she squeaked and buried herself back into the fox's fur, the latter sneezing cutely at the leftover powder as she held Whimsi back.

I watched the Aipom slowly stagger itself away from us, the sight equal parts hilarious and making me appreciative of just how powerful my two older companions were in their own ways, my hands already moving to embrace them before I realized I was still holding the Pokéball, shaking my own silliness away as I spoke to Braxy once more, showing the orb off-

"So? How's it sound?"

My own anticipation grew as I watched her consider the offer with the two lil' ones reacting in much the same way, equal parts excited and happy for the fiery fox that had joined them, most definitely wanting her to stay with us, with Whimsi outright flying into the air in hype, her cotton fluffing up even more than usual as she stayed a safe distance from the flam-

I grunted as a jolt of burning, stabbing pain shot through my mind, immediately followed by many, many more, my whole body shaking as the suffering quickly became too much to bear, making me drop the ball as I curled up in panicking agony.

I only knew that something very, very bad was going on, faintly hearing dozens of cries around me, both of my friends and of wildlife, followed up by almost all of them scattering off into the woods as fast as they could.

With all the effort I could muster in my nearly catatonic state I forced my eyes open to at least figure out what was going on-

Only for the pain to intensify further as my eyes connected with the glowing white ones staring at me from the tree line, their glare as piercing as it was fierce, making it clear that whatever the thing they belonged to was,

_*****"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MY WOODS, HUMAN!?*****_

It wanted me dead.

== Chapter 2.2: Belonging

So tired...

I groaned quietly as the warmth slid slightly further away from me, my snout scrunching in displeasure before I slowly forced one of my eyes open, acutely realizing sleep time was over.

So unfair...

I looked up at the human resting next to me, morning light combined with my sight no longer being horribly hazy finally letting me see its features in detail.

That smile could stop a charging Rampardos.

I inadvertently mirrored the expression at the sight before focusing on actually waking up, grunting as I pulled my arms out of the bag, still sore and a bit painful but at least usable now.

With a bit of effort I managed to sit back up, bringing one paw towards my tummy as I realized how hungry I was, not able to eat anything significant yesterday and getting a poisoned beating-

_*grrroooaaawwwll*_

Guess that's one way to make my needs known.

The human said something- or made noises that just so happened to sound very much like an incomprehensible attempt at speech, unsure which, before it and the Rowlet made its way out of the enclosed space, seemingly intent on doing... something.

I followed them out, my staggered walk much slower than I'd prefer with my injured leg still hurting something fierce with each step.

But I wasn't dead at least, and that's what mattered.

Especially with this obscenely tasty smell that suddenly crept its way into my nose, stopping me in place before I determined its source to be the weird metal... thing that human and its companions were huddling around.

After staggering over and sitting down next to the human, I finally realized its intent- several very tasty smells mixing together in a metal handle-bowl as the water heated up inside it.

My tummy grumbled once more at the wonderful scents as I waited for what was presumably food to be done, still having barely any idea what was going on in the overall sense, but feeling quite safe in this weird situation nonetheless.

Especially with that human by my side.

As I sat there and stared at the pot in my dreamy daze, still struggling to wake up in any real capacity, I suddenly realized something that shook me back to some sort of awareness.

The water was being heated, I could feel the small fire burning underneath- a fire that I didn't start, that neither of the two Pokémon sitting at the other side of the device could start, and which, from what I heard and saw of my rescuer, humans couldn't start on their own either.

I was baffled enough to try craning my head down under the pot to actually see what was going on- an attempt at investigation ending abruptly as I lost balance and fell down on my side, grossly overestimating my control of my own body in the state I was in.

God I'm so tired.

I cursed myself for my moment of weakness, starting to sit back up on my own before the human's helping paws made it much easier. An appreciative grumble left my mouth only to be immediately followed up by a surprised squeak as it lifted my half-limp self to sit on its lap, my eyes going wide at the unexpected action.

Mostly at just how good that felt all of a sudden, the comfort of my new sitting position leaving me almost asleep once more before the sound of something being placed on grass caught my attention.

The something turning out to be a dark, slightly translucent bowl filled with the amazingly smelling food that has been making my mouth water for the last while.

I carefully lifted the bowl up for closer inspection- or at least the two seconds of it before I tipped it and started drinking its contents in record time, completely unaware of the fact that I was supposed to wait for it to cool down.

This was the tastiest food I've ever eaten, it wasn't even a contest.

I set the bowl back down before leaning into the human juuuust a bit more, the wonderfully hot meal having most definitely not helped with my drowsiness.

Before I went and passed out however, a pang of guilt went through me, at the human having helped me out so incredibly much- literally saving my life even, without me being able to offer anything in response, not even a wand.

At the very least thanking my savior seemed like the only appropriate thing to do.

I closed my eyes and focused, one of my paws sneaking around the human to gently cup its head, my limited psychic senses straining themselves to form a connection for me to speak over-

Only for both of our messages to go through at the same time.

"So cute this little Braixen-"

_*"Thank you human."*_

My eyes went a bit wide as I heard the human's thought just before it heard my message, it being startled in response setting me on a bit of an edge as it looked around-

Before I realized that it was probably just looking for the source of the voice it heard, the sight even more adorable here than with Fennekin cubs that only just learn that their parents can speak to them in their minds, making them look around dumbfounded.

I caught the human looking down at me with an expression of slow realization, making me smirk just a tiny bit as I focused to catch its tho-

"You?"

"You can speak lil' one?"

I'm not that littl-

Aaaaaa more wonderful pets that made my head squirm under the human's caring touch, a sound partway between a mewl and a chirl leaving my mouth in bliss before I managed to collect myself somehow, focusing just enough to force out-

_*"Y-yes, I can speak!"*_

The human's stunned response chilled some of my enthusiasm, a slight unease growing within me as I looked up at it, trying to figure out if it would react negat-

The subsequent squeeze made me squeak out in surprise before I felt the warmth come through in thoughts and actions alike, relaxing in the human's embrace- at least before it brought in more of its affection, its playful intensity ticklish to the point where all I could do was squirm happily in its embrace, breaking into exhausted laughter as all tension seemed to leave me.

The overwhelming teasing thankfully eased out into slow and deliberate petting soon after, myself still giggling quietly as I leaned in closer towards my rescuer.

"Never met a Pokémon who could speak before, especially not such an affectionate one, teehee. My name's Zephyr, and I hope you're feeling better Braxy."

Did he give me his nickname?

D-did he give _*me*_ a nickname?

I was momentarily baffled by both those revelations before realizing that Zephyr's name for me was... rather adorable, making me smile at the thought that he liked me enough to come up with one for me.

Not to mention that it by far beat the 'Runt' I was stuck with before.

The strain my underdeveloped psychic powers were putting on me was more than worth being able to communicate with someone so nice and caring, his words making me downright giddy, leaving me unable to help but smile at them.

My ear perked up as I heard the Rowlet try to communicate with me himself, the owlet's eagerness making me chuckle and reach in to pet the cute bird even if I had no idea what it was trying to convey except for probably being happy.

Alright, focus, I was already in one conversation, let's not split myself any further.

_*"I'm definitely feeling much better than I was when you found me, that's for sure. I... I can't thank you enough for saving me there... Zeph."*_ \- I giggled at my own absence of ingenuity at coming up with nicknames, my reaction fortunately mirrored by him as I felt more of his wonderful pets before he responded-

"I'm so glad, but no need for thanks really, you saved us last night as well. I-I'm not sure what I would have done if you weren't there..."

I slowly shifted over on his lap upon hearing his response, turning towards him before wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I could, my voice soft as I felt... more touched than I ever did in my life.

_*"You're welcome."*_

His gentle affection made my buried snout smile as we just... held each other, the shared warmth feeling wonderful with the frosty air surrounding us, only made better still as the two little ones joined in on the fun as well, their squeaks getting quiet chuckles out of me.

I leaned back against his shoulder and closed my eyes as Zeph eventually let go of me, chuckling softly at his gurgles of hunger as he got to fulfilling that need.

This whole place, being with him, near him- it felt so much safer and more fulfilling than trying to scrape by on my own in the woods, alone and without any real safety-

Ho-oh almighty, whatever he was doing to my scalp and hair, I wanted him to never stop.

"So, Braxy, we were actually heading to the town on the other side of the forest and should probably get going soon. Do you think you will be okay now? If not, you are more than welcome to tag along for as long as you'd like." - My attention was now completely secured as he spoke up again, his words making me pause at the frankly, incredibly generous offer, generous and exciting. He was the first human I've ever met, and the idea of an entire settlement of ones as sweet as him was almost unimaginable.

The only real issue was...

Did I really earn something like that? I nearly died less than a couple months after leaving my familial den- if not for him I would be some scavenger's midnight snack.

With a track record of that and being barely even able to fend off any competition for food I was essentially worthless, a dead weight unable to even tend to herself.

What value could I even have? I'd just bring the rest of this, this wonderful pack down with me...

_*"D-don't worry, I-I-I'll be alright..."*_ \- I responded with a defeated voice as I slowly got up, breaking off into a quiet grunt of pain as I put weight on my injured leg, trying to ignore it as I slowly pushed myself towards the tree line.

Before I could take more than a handful of steps, I felt Zeph hold me once more, keeping me from falling as he spoke once more, the contents of his words lost as my spiraling anxieties broke any focus I might have had, the reality of me having deserved my death grinding into me with each passing moment.

I stared at the ground as Zeph sat down next to me before pulling me into a hug once more, making me tear up at his misguided affection as I wished it was all already over.

Despair and self hatred continued to boil in me, sensations intense enough to make me want only to shake in place and just wait for something to come over and finish that Seviper's job.

Intense enough for Zeph to feel, barely audible whispers of my mental voice unknowingly manifesting in his head as he held me.

For a while I could only sit there as the voices grew more and more intense, bitter tears flowing down my cheeks as Zeph's obvious concern hurt like a claw through my heart- I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, I just wanted him to leave me behind like a waste of effort I was.

I jolted slightly as he eventually reached in and lifted my chin up, my eyelids clenching so that I wouldn't have to see his caring worry, his following words once more understandable, even if I wished they weren't-

"Braixen, you are so much stronger than you let on. W-without you we'd be spider food yesterday- You saved us, a-and that means a lot to me, to all of us..." - I could only shake my head as his words drilled into me, desperately wanting to deny them, to push myself away even more, demons in my mind not even letting me really consider what he actually said.

"Oh Braxien, please, try to see, you are special, worth something precious... to me." - His tight embrace made me squeak quietly in its suddenness before I understood what he meant. I could only sit motionlessly as his fingers traced lines in my fur, his words conflicting deep in me. I selfishly wanted them to be true, I wanted that more than anything else in my life- but it just felt wrong and... impossible.

How could a weakling like myself even be called precious.

_*"I-I'm worthless..."*_ \- I could barely speak as the conflict stormed in me, I had no idea what I should do anymore but listen.

"Far from it. Having a rough day doesn't make you any less special Braxy. I've had plenty and look where that brought me, face to face with a sweet little Braixen who just saved mine and my two friends' lives. You're worth so much more to me than you think, and I'm so sorry you feel so worthless..."

_*"B-but I'm not special... I-if not for you, I'd be dead meat already, I don't deserve y-your help... o-or y-you caring about me..."*_ \- I responded almost in self defense at his words continuing to fuel the storm within me, Zeph's concern feeling so genuine in a way I yearned for- but at the same time, I couldn't allow myself to even consider it being justified, or consider myself worthy of it.

"And if not for you, we'd be spun up in a web somewhere, h-having our b-bl..." - I noticed his sudden, immense fear, sliding my arms up behind Zeph to hold him tightly as he almost fainted on me.

He... wasn't wrong, but he couldn't be right. How could he be right- h-how could a failure like me be worth all his care and effort, even if I were to consider my stint last night...

I knew what I really desired down inside, and with my mental judge being distracted in my internal conflict the underlying yearning could finally spill out-

_*"I-I don't want to leave you..."*_ \- I muttered out quietly, my intense need for comfort making me tear up into his chest.

"A-and you don't have to, little one. There is plenty of space in our little group and we'd all love to have you here." - I held him as tightly as I could, reaching my paw behind his head to hold it against mine as his noticeable moment of weakness filled me with a spark of confidence, confidence that me being here actually mattered.

A confidence that bloomed faster than I could contain it, at least momentarily managing to eclipse the overpowering doubts as my body shook in the internal turmoil.

I... mattered for him.

I was worthwhile...

I still has no idea as to why has he been so affectionate towards me, but... I knew I enjoyed it on a deeper level nonetheless.

_*"R-really?"*_ \- My voice shook as some of the internal chaos spilled out, together with just a drop of joy as I finally allowed myself to really, truly consider his words.

"Yes, really. You deserve to feel safe and appreciated Braxy, and I did really mean it- we'd love to have you here, myself most of all..." - I could only hold him tighter in response, my sobs fading into nothingness as I finally felt worthy of being cared for the first time in...

Ever.

_*"T-thank you, Zephyr, thank you so, so much..."*_ \- I finally responded after a while, huddling up closer as the exhaustion of my emotional turmoil combined with the strain of my psychic powers finally took its toll on me, making me doze off in his arms almost immediately afterwards.

***

Zeph's gentle voice eventually stirred me awake once more, especially combined with his downright ticklish teasing of my snout.

A quick glance let me know that we were much deeper in the woods, that apparently an entire day has passed since I dozed off in exhaustion, and that I was fortunately snuggled right next to him, taking the opportunity to softly nuzzle his thigh as I came to.

I was much too unfocused to get the precise meaning of what he said right after, but I managed to fish out something about worrying if my sleep was any good, making me sleepily shake my head in response.

I slept so much sounder than I remembered ever since I left my familial den, and... wouldn't be totally opposed to catching a few more Z's still in all honesty.

Before I could doze off once more however, Zeph's excited call brought me back to attention and focus to understand his words-

"So, while you were asleep, I did a little research on my dex and it say that you Braixen are very fond of your sticks and you didn't seem to have one. Well, I might have scavenged a pretty nice one for you while we were hiking!" - The mention of my absent wand embarrassed me a bit before his reveal, ears perking up in response as I watched him show his find to me.

It looked really quite nice.

I very carefully reached over and grabbed the stick, roaming my paws along its length, feeling every bump and knot.

The wands themselves scarcely matter. It's just a dry piece of wood, remove it from its user's tail and paw and its indistinguishable from any other stick. Most Braixen just go along with the first stick they find until it becomes damaged to the point of unusability, and then grab the next one they stumble on. Or sometimes replace their flimsy one with a sturdier, thicker one.

None of that made a difference as to their functionality.

The wand he gave me wouldn't be any different from the hundreds of other potential ones surrounding us-

But... Zeph offering me one, one he thought looked nice and thought I'd appreciate, without me mentioning anything about it...

I was definitely keeping this one forever.

I teared up a bit in appreciation and gratitude, reaching behind myself to insert my newly gifted wand in the correct position before holding him tightly, nuzzling and sniffling into his side.

_*"Th-t-thank you so much..."*_

Happy tears kept flowing, only aided by the wonderfully feeling ear scritches, making me want to just keep snuggling in Zeph's lap forever before his following call interrupted any further affection-

"You are very welcome Braxy, I'm so glad you like it- but now, food!" - His following clap took us out of our cuddling session as he gave everyone their food once more, with myself huddling over before picking my portion up and gently tipping the bowl over- getting to eating the freshly made goodness right away, its hotness pleasant for me if downright hurtful for everyone else.

As we slowly ate and the day faded, the creeping night's cold caused me to slowly creep closer towards Zeph, still feeling weak and hurting in spots, but getting much, much better with every bit of rest and meal.

Some light wouldn't hurt with how dark it was getting.

I set down my halfway empty bowl on the soft grass and stretched my paws a bit before reaching behind myself in the familiar way, managing to set the tip of my wand on fire with a single fluid motion. I took a moment to focus on the small, colorful flame before pointing it above us, several wisps of soft, campfire-like light manifesting a couple meters above us, lighting the small clearing up.

I couldn't help but smile at everyone's reaction to my little trick, pulling Whimsi into a hug after she'd warmed herself, giggling a bit at her stored warmth before trying and failing to redirect it towards Zeph, who obviously needed it more than me.

My head tilted a bit at some word I missed before his pats made me squirm in the most pleasant way, deciding to take the initiative this time and rub my head against Zeph's palm to make it even better.

"You're incredible, you know..." - I blushed a fair bit at his words, purring happily as I was flushed at such a basic trick being thought of so fondly, but-

I very much wasn't in the mood to dispute his awe. Not anymore at least.

_*"As are you!"*_ \- I squeaked out as he held me closer still, his overjoyed response making me giggle softly-

"No-no, This... This is something else."

Our entire group snuggled together underneath the warm lights, transfixed by their flickering colors and the almost eerie calmness they brought as the evening ticked on, the sky having turned completely dark by the time I took another look around the camp-

The scene felt almost surreal in its serenity. On one hand, I could recall having to fend off every kind of critter and bug around us before, but now... there was only peace.

Quiet, warm, and aside from the wisps completely dark, peace.

And with Zeph's gentle embrace and affectionate petting, absolutely wonderful.

And should the situation took sour, well... Fire Spin? I mentally chuckled at the thought, the real possibility of something dangerous happening that underlined it not even registering with my mind at how calm the situation was.

The wisps would of course burn out eventually, probably having not much than an hour or so left. But that was fine, I was already only staying awake because a primeval part of my mind wouldn't let me sleep with all the wild ones around, and once they're gone I'll be out in no time.

I closed my eyes and leaned against Zeph's shoulder, smiling unconsciously at how happy the situation was- that is, until his words caught my attention once more-

"So, how's staying with us so far?" - The accompanying ruffling of my cheek took me by surprise, the ticklish sensation forcing giggles out of me as I leaned further into him, only able to respond in one way as I nuzzled my head into his-

_*"Wonderful beyond words."*_ \- I felt happier than I could remember, the tiniest leftover tinge of doubt inspiring a follow-up question-

_*"H-how long will I be able to stay for? I'm getting used to not dying, heh."*_ \- Zeph's subsequent embrace made me purr in bliss, the head to head nuzzles feeling just as great even as a recipient as I heard his response-

"For as long as you want, even if it that means forever."

The words made me freeze at their unexpectedness, making me slowly turn towards Zeph to make sure he really meant it, only for him to cut me off before I could even speak up-

"Yes, really."

I felt a dam break in me as the last bastion of my self doubt fell with just these couple words, the flood of bliss that followed its collapse making me downright leap onto him, holding him as tightly as I could as warm tears of acceptance and comfort poured out of me, my nuzzling shaky and uneven, but the warmest it ever was, especially as he held me back.

I clung to Zeph as he sat back up, one of his paws letting go of me and catching my attention before it reemerged from his bag holding a peculiar... orb? It was half white and half red, looking completely alien while also feeling... familiar in an unsettling way.

Wherever it was I could recall it from, it most definitely wasn't a good place.

"I don't really use these things very much, but it is what people use to signify the bond between Pokémon and human. And, well... I'd like you to have it, for as long as you would keep it." - I had no doubt as to Zeph's motives, his warmth so intense as to even rival mine, but I was still unsure nonetheless, wanting some more clarification-

_*"W-what does it do?"*_

"To be quite honest, I'm not entirely sure. They tell us it's like a little home for Pokémon with everything they could want, but I don't know how that all fits into a tiny little ball." - I had no idea either, the attempted answer feeling like it was falling apart before Zeph continued-

"That said, Row and Whimsi have their own and they sometimes pop into them when they want some space or some alone time, but don't really stay in there that much. But, it would be your space whenever you need or want it."

A personal shelter for Pokémon? Guess it could be useful, even something as simple as meditation would definitely benefit from an alone time like that...

I slowly nodded as I felt a semblance of understanding start to creep in, continuing my questioning-

_*"And i-it'll be mine?"*_

"If you will have it-" - I saw his free paw move to deliver some more reassuring pets before some ruckus off to the side distracted us both.

Oh that Aipom better let go of her, Whimsicott are fun loving fluffballs alright, but even they have their limits-

With the unfortunate monkey running into Whimsi's as the Stun Spore knocked it out, the classic situation making me burst into barely contained giggles as our cottony friend made her way back over, not feeling bad about her self defense even one bit.

Neither should she, Aipom are infuriating little shits at the best of times, I most definitely couldn't blame her for having had enough of this one's harassment.

I reached over to pet Whimsi a bit, wanting to cheer her up after having to go through that, giggling happily and then promptly sneezing as she snuggled into me once again. Her affection towards me in particular still wasn't making even a single bit more sense, but I'd be damned if I wasn't enjoying it.

Zeph's words took me out of the cuddling as he brought my attention back to the eerie orb in his other paw, his question as straightforward as it was difficult to decide on.

His two prior companions were most definitely cheering for me to go for it, I've never seen them inside one of these things either and I'd apparently be able to come and go as I choose, so it would just be some added protection just in case...

It did sound alluring when put like that, but I was still gonna wait with the decision, wanting to at least stay with this wonderful group for long enough to see the others using them and what it entailed-

That is, before Zeph's loud grunt of pain cut off any thoughts I might have had as his expression turned that to one of abject suffering, his body shaking before letting go and curling up on the grass, the now-unimportant ball rolling away as I tried to figure out what in Arceus' name was going on.

The wild ones around us weren't appreciating the change in tone one bit, all appearing just a bit more on edge at the sudden noise before outright crying out in fear as they took off into the woods, terrified at something that seemed to be right behind us...

Before I could even turn around to see what it was I felt the pain myself, hair on the back of my head standing up as my whole head felt like it was being squeezed, making me jerk my whole body to face-

Her.

The Forest Witch stood just at the edge of visibility as she stared down at us from the tree line, expression threateningly fierce.

My parents and elders didn't shy from scaring us kits with the tales of the Forest Witches, of their piercing white eyes and their bloodlust at any perceived slight or strife- and as much as I eventually learned to take all their stories with a bucket of salt...

The sight of one right in front of me, being able to feel her ire with the brunt of it aimed at Zeph, was nothing short of terrifying, especially as the two grass types joined in with their own squeaks of suffering, Row shaking on the grass as Whimsi could barely keep herself standing, eyes forced shut.

And then, the witch spoke, its words outright overwhelming as I nearly collapsed there and then-

_*****"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MY WOODS, HUMAN!?*****_

But I couldn't fall, not this time, shrieking in determination to protect Zeph from her, no matter what it would cost me.


	3. Cruelty

== Chapter 3.1: Cruelty

My eyes went wide as Zeph's pain seemed to only intensify as he beheld the towering witch, its slowly raising claws putting me into full alert as its murderous intent became more than clear.

I prepared my wand with one swift motion, its brilliant flame roaring to life once more as I started gathering power for a Fire Blast, hoping to send the wench back to whatever hole it crawled out of.

Whimsi had the same idea despite her own struggling, a vibrant Energy Ball forming in her paws as she glared at the witch in front of us, no less determined in her defense than I was.

Whimsicott were goof balls as a whole, but this one was by far the most devoted and fierce goof ball I've ever seen.

Just as Whimsi launched her attack, I saw witch's eyes light up for just the briefest instant before the projectile was reflected back towards the cottonball, exploding almost immediately. Its shockwave knocked all of us back and most of the wisps out, any focus I had gathered completely lost as I crashed into the ground.

I barely scrambled up onto all fours as my body shook in pain, eyes going wide at the two little ones writhing in front of me, Whimsi especially only reduced to painful trembling.

If we were going to die, the least I could do was protect the two little ones from any more of witch's mental onslaught, laying a paw on each of their heads and focusing my psychic powers to put them both to Rest. The sheer exertion got a gasp out of me as I glanced back towards the looming threat, the witch getting closer with every instant, its piercing gaze looking even fiercer in growing darkness.

And if we were going to die, then at the very least I'd give that fucking witch everything I still had.

My fear burned into anger, white hot anger at the one happy moment in my life being so violently violated, at fate itself seeming keen on denying me from ever finding peace.

The intensity of my emotion was enough to give the witch a pause, catching its attention as I lifted myself back up, rattled, horribly weak, but more furious than ever in my life as I both mentally and physically screamed at it-

****"GET AWAY FROM MY FRIEND, YOU BITCH!"**** \- I slowly staggered in its direction, disarmed and having no idea what I would even do to stop it, but at the very least intending to give Zeph more time to run while it mauls me into a scorching red paste.

Before I could take more than a couple steps however, its psychic grip stilled me completely, embracing my whole body in faint, pink light, barely letting me breathe as I heard its voice once more, quieter and focused towards me-

_*"Friend? You're not a human slave, bred by them for obedience, I can sense it. Why then are you defending him, when all he wants is to bring us harm!?"*_

Its grip on my body was only tightening, making me almost gasp for air as I struggled to breathe. Between the pain, both physical and mental, I could barely think clearly enough to answer her question, my response coming out almost incoherently as it loomed closer and closer, sheer size dwarfing mine-

_*"H-he-he hel-h-helped me, n-not harmed!"*_

_*"Liar."*_ \- I squealed and teared up as its grip became actively painful, starting to twist my joints as its expression became one of utter contempt, its claws rising up behind it to strike.

_*****"I will not suffer another human to hurt this land, or any other creature to attempt to stop m-"*****_ \- Zeph's shout caught us both by surprise, brief shock creeping up onto witch's face as I heard him run towards me, his pull overcoming the witch's psychic grip, the faint energy around me shattering in an instant as I was yanked out of it.

It didn't take long for the witch to collect itself back together, claws already rising and glowing with psychic energy in preparation for what would no doubt be the final blow. My thoughts raced a mile a minute as I struggled to think of anything, the long spoon pinned against my chest catching my attention as it pressed into-

Long spoon. Long wooden spoon.

Thank you Zeph.

I yanked the utensil out of his grip in a rush of adrenaline, brushing it against the side of my head and ear in one swift motion, smearing some leftover food against me as I desperately hoped the damp wood would ignite, which it thankfully did at the very last moment.

All colors of the rainbow engulfed the head of the spoon as the curry ignited as well, the entirety of my powers focusing in one spot as I conjured a brief barrier, immediately shattered by the witch's attempted Psycho Cut as its blow was deflected.

One Protect done, now just a thousand more.

I knew acutely well that in a direct meeting of the minds its powers would crush my head like an overripe berry, pushing me to try and even the grounds somehow, a translucent barrier forming between us and her with another swipe of my wand, glowing enough to illuminate the witch's... uncertain expression?

For a long while we both stood glaring at each other, my body burning hot to the touch as I only ran on sheer anger anymore, every single part of me screaming for rest that wouldn't come, couldn't come.

Not yet.

After what felt like ages but was probably less than half a minute, it shifted it gaze from me over to Zeph who still continued to weakly hold me, ferocity in her eyes mellowing out with confusion taking its place.

_*****"Why..."*****_

Her short message was cut off as I heard Zeph's shriek of pain, intense enough for him to drop me back onto my legs and collapse on the ground.

His intense suffering emboldened me to take advantage of the opening in witch's focus as I brought the burning head of the spoon to my mouth and blew forth a Flamethrower, the instant of surprise on the witch's face replaced by anger once more as it parried my attack and went back onto the offensive, an endless barrage of Psycho Cuts barraging me one after another, with each Protect coming harder and harder.

It was all too much.

No matter how much I tried to Protect us, to keep it at bay, the onslaught just keep coming on the inside and out, its cuts coming closer and closer to connecting as it slowly closed in on us, my limbs shouting at me with stabbing pain from sheer overuse.

The sight of Zeph writhing pitifully on the ground, combined with his unceasing screams of pain, feeling him get weaker and weaker-

If not for being so determined to protect him I would've collapsed long ago, and even with the motivation the strain was enough to make me feel like my flesh wasted away into ash as my eyes cried, burned with the all consuming, bitter death.

****CRASH****

It wasn't enough.

Its cut broke through my exhausted defenses, digging into my arm and chest as the pain staggered me back, crimson staining my light fur as I could only look up at the towering witch, now mere feet from us, only barely able to keep standing.

This was the end.

Bitter tears mixed with the bloody stains as I shook, the sheer unfairness of it all would have made me scream if I had any breath to spare.

I could barely hold my wand anymore, its flame reduced to little more than an ember even as the witch looked seemingly no worse for the wear.

From its point of view, it was probably like swatting at a particularly annoying insect.

I bared my teeth in deathly desperation as it just stood there, eying us down as the final fiery wisp had finally faded away, only the piercing eyes visible underneath the stars as they drilled into me.

If I was gonna die, I was gonna take that thing with me.

My paw clenched around my wand as I gathered everything that was left of me, willing to burn away if that meant it would share my fate. My body grew hotter and hotter, heat intensifying as the flame on the tip on my wand roared to life one last time.

I lifted my wand and charged at the witch as the heat consumed me, the world fading away in fl-

_*"No."*_

The witch's voice stilled my mind as it raced to caught up, soon realizing that its claws stopped my wand paw from even rising in the first place, making me drop the spoon in sheer shock.

Stopped. Not severed.

My dying body shook as I stared up at the piercing eyes, the shock of surprise nearly making me faint on its own. Its expression was inscrutable in the darkness, gaze still focused on us as I felt the painful mental grip wane on me, my eyes going wide at the sudden change.

"W-why..." - I whispered out, mental voice barely audible as my legs finally gave out from under me, making me collapse roughly on top of Zeph, only barely clinging onto consciousness anymore.

It closed its eyes for a long while, a faint hum growing audible as it, us, even the earth underneath us all started to glow, an overwhelming power surging through us all I could only watch.

I thought I heard the witch respond, but its voice was obscured by the ever so intensifying noise, the light around us growing brighter and brighter until it became downright blinding as the hum grew into a deafening roar-

There was a blast, an intense rush of wind and warm air.

There was a thud next to us, a thud of someone collapsing onto grass.

And then, there was nothing more.

***

"Au?"

The impossibly distant sound seemed to reach me wherever I was, or wasn't, the quiet noise letting me know I was still alive.

That, or I've ended up in the most boring afterlife I could've imagined. And the coldest...

"Au-au."

I shuddered slightly as I heard the high pitched voice again, unsure whether it was my dying soul, a Pidove or something creaking. Neither possibility filled me with too much optimism, making me just curl up tighter on the rough surface I was probably laying on.

And realize just how much my body hurt all over, what felt like every single muscle was forcing itself in line just to get a chance to shout at me from overuse, a couple of painful spasms in my arms not helping any.

Neither did the cold sweat that seemed to have dampened every bit of my fur.

Alright, this definitely wasn't afterlife. Or if it was, I must've killed many a cub without knowing to end up in its lowest ring-

"T-th-thank you."

Zeph's voice made the events that transpired before us ending up here rush back into my mind, every single horrifying detail recalled vividly as I shot up into the sitting position, the sheer amount of sudden adrenaline in my system overruling my body's objections as my paw burst ablaze, my eyes darting around wherever the hell we were, fully intending to take whatever I saw on before doing the same to the witch itself.

His strained cry immediately grabbed my attention before it shifted to the vines wrapped around his limbs, holding them to the frame of one of the the wooden platforms we were both laying on.

The sight certainly didn't inspire any confidence in me, and what I saw and heard next only sapped it further.

His was hardly the only response to my sudden blaze, my attention shifting to the cream colored creature standing next to him as I snarled at it, trying to intimidate it away from my friend.

I may or may have considered burning the vines off before remembering that it would also hurt Zeph an approximate lot.

As my focus waned, my eyes started darting around the cave we were in, trying to keep track of the rest of the creatures in here with us and if need be, give them a hot reminder to not dare touch either of us.

In the far end rested Whimsi and Row, huddled against each other and squinting painfully as they were abruptly woken up. Their presence here calmed me down a bit, but the improvement in my mood was quickly undone as my eyes scanned on.

In the approximate middle of the cavern laid, well, sat by now, an Aromatisse, her expression utterly inscrutable, but clearly focused on me.

Great, a creepy, furry beak-thing leering at me is just what I needed.

Further away, sitting against the side of the cave Zeph was trapped close to, was a Roselia, its intense glare that soon shifted towards Zeph making it clear that she was just as angry at us as I was at literally everything alive that wasn't my friends.

However, the part of the scenery that upset me the most was the Snorlax that sat against what I realized to be the blocked mouth of the cave, a tiny spot of outside night visible despite its blockage.

Thankfully it was asleep, the possibly of having my skeleton Body Slammed out of me certainly not sounding appealing.

I managed to scuttle back and lean against the wall behind me, my flame fading as my body clearly did not understand the concept of 'keeping guard', letting adrenaline in me drop to the point where the pain was getting more and more difficult to distract myself from.

Seeing Zeph's companions make their way back towards him took out some of my edge, especially with his relieved reaction, but ultimately we were still trapped in here.

The deadlock of the situation we've found ourselves in wasn't doing my sanity any favors. The longer I tried to hold onto my flame, the dimmer it got and the hazier the fine details of the cave beyond my immediate surroundings became- eventually my eyes only being able to find looming horrors wherever I looked, with any and all noises putting me on more of an edge.

I had to get out.

Teleporting us out all at once was out of the question, my sheer exhaustion would only ensure we would end up six feet underground, smeared into the dirt. As hopelessly selfish as it was, I had to get out first, recover, and then rescue Zeph and his companions once I didn't feel like I was on the verge of death anymore.

I snuffed out my flame as I tried to focus, focus as deeply as I possibly could, pushing away the horrors that were now closing in on me in the shadows, pushing even my friends away, requiring perfect, unwavering concentration.

Soon, the faintest of orange glows enveloped me as I pushed on, visualizing the clearing we've last been on, mentally reaching over and trying to manifest back over there, the faint aura around me ever so slowly intensifying. Despite my exhaustion, I still had just enough in me to do this, I had to still have enough, pushing further as I ignored the pain and exhaustion that were trying their hardest to regain their grip on my body.

Just a bit mo-

AGH!

I shrieked out loud at the all too familiar pain stabbing through my mind once more, all my focused energy dissipating violently in an instant, chipping off the stone wall behind me and cracking some planks in the bedding under me.

I forced my eyes open and looked around blindly in the darkness, trying to find the witch that was no doubt already here and give to it what it deser-

And then I felt something, just the faintest sensation of some sort of powder scattering on me, my exhausted brain taking just an instant to process it before my body blazed to life once more-

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" - I shrieked in my native tongue as I reared up from where I sat, my paws once again engulfing in flames as I leaped at where I remembered that Roselia standing, wanting it to suffer for doing this to me-

Before collapsing in a heap as I lost control of my body, only managing to catch the faintest glimpse of the witch's glowing eyes staring me down before consciousness left me an instant later.

== Chapter 3.2: Misery

"H-Help!" - I shrieked out in desperation as I slowly tried to scramble away from whatever that unholy thing was, whole body aching in the same stabbing pain as my head, making any sort of coordinated motion impossible.

I only briefly noticed my companions rise to attention as I painfully scrambled away from the creature, shrieks of their obvious suffering filling me with deep, freezing dread.

We were dead.

Before I could move any further, a shockwave from behind me launched me away from the horrible thing, the roar of whatever caused it accompanied with another salvo of pain filled cries and thuds of bodies landing on grass-

Both from my companions and myself alike as I landed on what used to be our cooking setup, the pot cutting a deep gash in my leg as my arm smashed one of our bowls to pieces, the resulting shards of glass cutting into my whole side.

Overwhelming headache was reduced to merely an intolerable one, but what I saw right after undid any relief that might have brought me.

Whimsi and Row were laying motionless on the grass with Braxy pushing herself back onto her feet, her stick gone. She looked almost as battered as when we initially found her, intense anger lighting her face up as she shrieked and tried to stagger towards the creature-

The creature that had made its way close enough for me to at least be able to determine what it looked like. Taller than me and outright towering above Braxy, with a pale coloration I couldn't precisely discern in half darkness, and one clawed arm that slowly rose after it turned to face her, stopping its own approach and enveloping her in a pink psychic grasp.

I saw the creature's arm rise and get enveloped in the same psychic energy Braxy was constrained by, the sight of my friend about to be executed pushing me to action, to do something.

Anything.

I had to help her, my friend, somehow.

I tried to stagger my way onto my feet as my body shook uselessly, hand brushing up against the pot and the spoon as I pushed myself up, head feeling like someone was stabbing it with red not knives, any thoughts feeling almost impossible to hold on to.

I briefly noticed the wooden spoon as I picked myself up, a plan of sheer desperation springing up as I quickly scooped up the utensil in front of me, only for another deafening mental scream to tear into me right after-

_*****"I will not suffer another human to hurt this land, or any other creature to attempt to stop me."*****_

"Yeah, and I will not let you hurt my FRIEND!" - I took off towards Braxy, dashing as fast as my body would let me, arms wrapping around her and lifting her off her feet, spoon pinned to her chest as I pulled her backwards, breaking the creature's grip even if for a moment.

Praying it would be enough.

It all happened in a blink of an eye- the towering creature swinging its clawed arm down with intent to finish us, Braxy lighting aflame the spoon, a barrier coming into being and then immediately shattering into bits around us, all while I felt paralyzed and completely unable to act.

It was all so threatening, so violent, so dangerous.

The display of power in front of me rung in my ears as I could only stand there and wait, exhausted body barely keeping itself upright as both Braxy and the witch-like creature seemed to be locked in a stand off-

At least for a moment before the thing turned its mind melting gaze back towards me, making me keel over in headsplitting pain, hands trying to hold back the inevitable explosion of my head, body hacking up our previous meal, clenching at how overwhelming the monster's mental presence was, how it utterly blotted my own out.

My mind felt like it was being cracked open and read like a book, all my thoughts and memories on display, no matter how private or hidden as the witch scoured through the entirety of what made me me.

A torrent of memories and thoughts surfacing one after another, disjointed and irrelevant, old and pointless, clear as day and painful as knives stabbing into me, leaving me unable to even me make fully formed thoughts anymore-

_~I-is this just what Pokémon do? Fight, kill, fight, kill...~_

_~Professor, why...~_

_~You said Pokémon were misunderstood.~_

_~You said w-we could help.~_

_~You told me we could learn from each other, build each other up, grow to be better, together.~_

My body started to lose its grip on itself, convulsions leaving me writhing on the ground as my mind continued to be violated-

_~Y-you kept sending me out to go pick up things for you, to run silly errands putting me out into the world, to experience...~_

_~All of this...~_

_~I thought for a moment I 'got' it, why you were making me do what I did.~_

I took what little energy my body had left to pry my eyes and look over at Braxy, maintaining new vibrant barriers above us, desperately protecting us from witch's onslaught as I uselessly seized up on the forest floor.

_~Braxy, I thought I finally did something right. I thought I made a difference.~_

_~I thought I helped...~_

I closed my eyes once more, the pain of watching her fight to the bitter end too much for me to take in, myself returning to whimper in solitude.

_~But we're going to just die, aren't we?~_

_~...~_

_~Maybe Professor wasn't the one who had it all figured out, blindly believing that Pokémon were just like us- Living, conscious, sapient creatures. Just wanting to live, wanting to thrive, wanting to belong.~_

_~Wanting to love and be loved.~_

_~How could she be right after all this...~_

_~...~_

_~Maybe instead... the world was right? The Pokémon battling, the capturing, the forced breeding, maybe it really is all just in their nature? They do it on their own anyways, maybe this way it's a little safer for them and a little safer for us...~_

_~Crueler, but much safer than us dying in the middle of nowhere, them dying while fighting one another away from any help.~_

_~I...~_

_~I don't know anymore.~_

My mind was too wracked by suffering to even notice what was happening around me, there was only pain, pain that burned through my entire being-

And then it just stopped, exhaustion wasting no time in filling the void left behind by it, my anguished consciousness snuffed out like a candle before I could even consciously perceive the change.

***

Everything was cold, dark and cold.

I had no idea for how long I laid there while my eyes slowly built up the courage to open themselves, only to find even more blackness in front of me once they did. Nothingness. Eerie, endless quiet.

Guess this is how it ends, huh?

I didn't even know what to think. I tried to grasp at my head, to feel what was left of me, to try and make heads and tails of my last moments, only to find resistance holding me back.

I guess I still had a body at least, just not very much control over it.

As I laid there in deathly silence, the room slowly started to fade from blackness into a scale of dark grays, eyes adjusting to the lack of light just enough to make out a few more blobs of slightly different shade of black in the distance and something restraining me, seemingly wrapped tightly around my limbs.

Maybe not dead then.

B-but then... where was I?

What the hell happened?

I jostled as much as my bindings would allow, lack of energy and a persisting headache leaving me no more than a shaking mess, whimpering under my breath as I tried to test my restraints.

"Au?" - A soft voice perked up from the dark, what I thought to just be more wall to my side turned into a blackened figure approaching me, footsteps growing closer and closer until the creature leaned over my constrained self.

"Au-au." - The figure leaned down and touched me with a furry appendage, pressing against my side as it muttered its quiet cry a couple more times, some sort of energy flowing into my body soon after, leaving it less tense, less pained, less devoid of any strength.

The bruises' dull pain mellowed, breathing became easier, and even the headache stopped thumping in my head as loudly allowing me to at least rest easier in my newfound prison cell.

"T-th-thank you." - I muttered out, no less confused about what was going on, but at least glad I wouldn't have to suffer through it as much.

The figure that had apparently administered the healing nodded slightly in response, one of its furry paws continuing to lightly rest on my arm as it stayed there afterwards, seemingly keeping watch over me.

As I began to ponder just what had happened before I ended up here, or where everyone else was, my eyes were caught off guard by a fiery light bursting into the room, a loud yelp leaving my mouth as my arms futilely tried to shield my eyes from the blinding glare.

With many tears, whimpering cries, and squinting, I was eventually able to make out my immediate surroundings- the cave I was in, Braxy looking more eager than ever to defend herself, with fire burning on one of her paws the source of the sudden light, and a pink and cream creature standing next to me, one paw shielding its eyes from the fox's radiance.

"B-braxy? BRAXY!" - I shouted out much to my own dismay, pain shooting from my chest, body still compressed and not fully recovered. Nevertheless I squirmed excitedly to get her attention, happy to find a face I recognized in this unknown hell I found myself in.

I saw her glance around the cave as she scanned it for potential threats- which my own panicking eyes determined there to be plenty of.

Aside from the cream colored creature standing next to me, distant memories of a hospital visit supplying me with the name 'Audino', there were at least a couple other beings in here with us, most of all the Snorlax a that seemed to be occupying the mouth of the cave, its mere presence dissuading me from trying to break out here lest it tries to stop me from doing that in some more direct way.

A purple furred creature was standing up from its sleep being abruptly interrupted, it's mask-like face not letting out any emotion, but it was clear that it was focused on increasingly more tired Braxy as her flame started to slowly die down.

Another look at my binds determined them to be thick vines, no doubt provided by what I eventually figured out was a Roselia standing off to the side, tiny size combined with hazy vision making it hard to tell at a first glance.

What wasn't hard to tell was its spiteful glare piercing right into me, beady eyes doing their hardest to match the witch's performance.

The panic in Braxy's eyes as she looked after each of our potential foes was beyond unsettling. I struggled ineffectively against the vines as she kept snarling and glaring at each of our cell guards, desperately needing the chance to just move, to comfort her somehow, to do anything!

After a few loud grunts and strained attempts to wriggle myself free, I gave up, resigned to my grassy prison as Braxy seemed to throw in the towel as well, room darkening as her light faded to mere embers.

As I started to lose track of time staring up at the ceiling, a loud chirping started to ring in my ears, Row almost crashing into me soon after. He snuggled into me the best he could, clearly far from prime condition himself, but much more concerned about me in my current state.

"Thank the heavens you're safe Row. I'd come hug you if I c-could but, well I'm a little stuck now, heh." - I whispered in relief, needing his comfort so desperately, nuzzling into him the best I could with my constraints.

Whimsi followed suit soon after, a bit hesitant in her flight, but after managing to make it back to me she wasted no time in holding onto me as close as she could, squeaking emotionally as she pressed some of her fluff under my own head, giving me some semblance of a pillow against the cold wood underneath.

Eventually Braxy's flame faded completely, making me look over towards her to make sure she was alright before I saw a faint orange glow envelop her, transfixed by the sight as it slowly intensified, Braxy herself sitting completely still with her eyes closed, seemingly gathering energy for somethi-

Her loud shriek made me try to jolt away as all her gathered energy discharged violently, her cry of pain accompanied by the sounds of cracking stone and wood, fear about something happening to her stilling me from even breathing.

Before I could even take another breath however, I whimpered at yet another burning glare, accompanied by Braxy's maddened growl, its ferocity filling me with fear despite knowing full well she was my friend-

And then, it was over as soon as it had started, the blinding light, the bloodcurling shriek- all gone, only to be followed up with a sound of something falling onto the cold, dirt floor.

As the cave fell into pitch darkness once more, I could only hear the faintest squeaking sounds before catching a glimpse of the witch's eyes staring at me once more, blood draining from my body before I felt some sort of powder scatter over me, its effects immediate with myself leaving the world of the waking once more.

***

The sudden sleep came fast and easy, but was far from restful. Everything was covered in a thin layer of fine, powdery dust, bleaching the dreamscape of its vividness. Worse yet, it was clearly a dream, a dream I wasn't in the mood for.

Whimsi, Row, Braxy, they were an eyelid opening away from my body, trapped in that cave with all those other Pokémon and even the witch itself and here I was, waddling through a sad excuse for snow.

The landscape continued to rumble faintly, my mind feeling number as the rumblings intensified. Slow, deep words echoing across the landscape, tingling my mind as I slept restlessly-

_*"Braixen... insane... enough..."*_

What was happening?

I slammed my fists into the dust, making it bloom into the air, lungs filling with the choke-inducing substance only to find myself completely unphased.

Dreaming. Still dreaming.

I there was nothing left to do but try to wake myself up. Pinching, prodding, tongue-biting, nothing shook me from the trance.

I took a few glances around the bleached landscape, noticing a massive tree crowning the top of a small hill, its sheer size making me wonder why I hadn't noticed it earlier.

Guess I would have to wake up as one does in a nightmare.

Time to fall.

I hustled over to the base of the redwood, hands and feet finding their holds as I scaled up its side, determined to make my way as high as my body would take me before taking the leap of awakening.

Ten meters up, twenty, I continued climbing higher and higher, determined to reach the top to make my jump, to exit this place for good and to meet back up with my compani-

Pwoof.

My hand grabbed nothing but dust in its determined climb, my mind taking its sweet time to process the sudden change with my body already engaged in its premature descent right back into the dusty wasteland below.

Even if this was the desired outcome, why couldn't it have been on my own terms!?

My eyes had just enough time to process the ground racing towards me, mind too panicking to notice a small pastel-colored creature standing just off to the side, body quaking despite knowing it was all just a dream I couldn't escape from, none of it was re-

****SLAM!****

== Chapter 3.3: Witness

It all happened so fast.

One moment we were all sitting under the floating fires, with Zephie offering Braixen a ball of her own, we were all happy she would stay with us for good and we'd have someone else to play with!

Well, she still scared me just a bit with her fire and all, but she never used it on us and Zephie trusted her and Whimsi trusted her so I figured I was just a scaredy bird.

And she really was very warm...

And then everything turned scary, all the wild ones fled away, Zephie was screaming in so much pain- we all were, it was so much, way too much for me to handle, my head felt like an egg being thrown against rocks-

And then I was asleep all of a sudden and I didn't like it one bit.

When I finally woke up, we were somewhere very dark and cold, I could see Zephie and Braxy laying on something as Whimsi held me closely, sounding more afraid than I've ever heard her before.

We huddled closely, afraid to move out of the corner we were in, especially with all those other, larger creatures that also were there around us. I could see them well, but had no idea what any of them were, and really didn't want to find out myself, especially with the big sleeping one in the cave's entrance.

I just wanted to go home...

I tried sleeping, having no idea what else I could do, but rest just wouldn't come, not here, not, not away from Zephie.

Just as I lost hope for getting any actual rest tonight, I heard Zephie wake up, his strained sounds making me feel even worse before I saw one of the other creatures walk up to him and seemingly help him out, his words of gratitude calming me down a bit that he was still alri-

And then we were all blinded by the sudden light, Whimsi squeaking quietly into my ear before our eyes adjusted to it, making me chirp in surprise as I realized it was Braxy's fire and that she looked really angry.

Zephie shouted something at her and caught her attention, and her expression softened just a bit as she glanced at us, before it got angry again when she looked over at everyone else in the cave with us.

And then it got scarier as she looked more and more tired, her fire getting smaller as I heard Zephie struggle some more, his cries hurting something inside me, making me want to just fly over to him and help-

Oh pluck it, if the other creatures wanted to hurt us anymore they would already have, I had to do something!

I took off into a short flight, chirping to let Zephie know I was there and hugging him as close as I could, his soft words and nuzzling making me feel so much safer than before, even with him being tied up with vines.

Then Whimsi joined in and I felt less scared when I held her closer and she got less scared too when we both felt Zephie's slowly calming heartbeat.

Eventually Braxy's fire died out, and it got so cold I started shivering.

I looked around towards her and saw her close her eyes and stop moving at all before she started glowing orange, it looked so awesome it made me coo at the sight.

Everyone was staring at her, Braxy's light growing brighter and brighter before she screamed all of the sudden and went dark.

She looked hurt and even angrier than before, something glittering faintly in the dark before I saw her try and jump at something one last time.

She looked scarier than I ever seen her before she just dropped. The thud of her head hitting the ground sounded very, very bad and made me snuggle just a bit closer to Whimsi.

The cave went completely quiet and dark once more, there were only a handful of shuffling noises and then I saw a pair of eyes staring at me, white and glowing.

Whimsi squeaked in terror before I felt some sort of powder scatter on us, making me sneeze as I wondered what was it supposed to do-

And then Zephie fell asleep instantly, the sudden change making me cry out into the cave, angry and scared at someone poisoning my friend like that.

For the longest time nothing happened except everyone taking a step or two. The tall glowy-eyed being that now stood in the center hummed in much the same way Braxy did when she spoke with Zephie.

I wonder why she never spoke with me tho-

We squeaked at the sudden light for the third time that night. What looked like one of the fires Braxy made was now under the roof of the cave, except light pink in color instead.

The big fat one barricading the entrance was still asleep.

The tall creature was now staring right at us. It was pastel colored and rounded and looked really weirdly scary. Whimsi was so scared she fainted right after, and I pushed her a bit to the side so that she wouldn't fall off like Braxy did. Then I felt something tingle in the back of my head, making me turn back towards the pastel glow-eye-

H: _*"Can you hear me?"*_ \- The voice felt like how the tall creature looked like, soft and gentle. Calm and feminine too, but I was scared, spooked by the sudden words in my head so I snuggled Zephie closer. It all kept getting scarier...

R: "He obviously can now! That's not what I meant when I asked about how would we deal with those two!" - This voice was shrill and rough. Kinda like the small flower-shaped creature that stepped into view- b-but wait, how-

H:_ *"But it is how I intend to. They won't be leaving any time soon, I don't see a reason for keeping them in the dark."*_

The two creatures around Braixen looked up at the tall one. It then sighed before more words forced themselves into my mind-

H: _*"I apologize for leaving you all with this mess for so long, but now I'm here, and I'd appreciate if I could have your trust as we deal with the situation on our hands."*_

R: "Situation!? You dumped a- a fucking human on our paws! What if it was awake!?"

H: _*"I doubt your vines would be any less effective at constraining him in that case, Roselia."*_

R: "E-even if, why did you bring it here in the first place!? Why couldn't you have just killed it where it stood!?"

The question got everyone focused on the tall one again, even the big round one at the cave's entrance, a few moments of painful silence passing by before an answer was provided-

H: _*"Because I intended to save him."_*

R: "WHAT!? HOW COULD YOU BET-" - The mental shriek got cut off as pink energy blocked the bush creature's mouth, its fierce anger plainly visible under the pink light.

H: _*"I was protecting this place when you were but a pollen on your father's petal. I had my reasons for saving him, and will give them tomorrow morning to our assembly. And until then, can you trust me for one more night on top of these couple decades?"* _

Bush being shrunk back away from the tall one as its attention shifted over to the Braixen, with the two shorter ones still tending to it, wrapping its wounds with white fabric and occasionally muttering something out with glowing paws.

The soft voice then continued-

H:_ *"What does she need for recovery?"*_

The two smaller ones exchanged glances, nodding before another voice responded-

U: "Time. Most of her wounds are little more then cuts aside from the nasty one on her leg, the main reason for her state seems to be repeated strain and sheer exhaustion. She needs to rest, and rest for a long time." - This voice sounded so soft I wanted to snuggle in it.

H: _*"I see. Once you're done patching her up, please tend to the human to the best of your ability."*_

Everyone's eyes went wide except for the still asleep big one, and then the soft voice continued-

H:_ *"I know I'm asking a lot of you, and that you've never done anything like that before. Nonetheless, I have to ask you to help him out in the same way you'd help anyone else out."*_

A: "I... w-why? Hatterene, I don't doubt your judgment, but this is all too much. W-who even is that human!?" - Yet another voice spoke out, soft and assertive. The purple furred thing stepped closer to the tall one and they looked at each other.

The tall one closed its eyes and took a deep breath. Its claws were tapping against its hat-thing for a while before there were more words-

H: _*"Someone innocent whose life I nearly took because of an error of judgment. I was left with a choice between condemning four innocent beings to death by leaving them on its doorstep in the middle of nowhere and taking a risk in trying to save them. Which option would you rather had I chose?"*_

The purple one slowly nodded and turned to look at Zephie. I tried to leer to scare it away but it didn't work and it walked over anyway.

R: "Innocent! I-it's a human for crying out loud, they're monsters!"

H: _*"Even if, we need not step down to their level."*_ \- The tall one glared down at the rose bush. It was so scary it yelped and fumbled backwards, almost fell over! Then the tall one turned over to look over me and Zephie-

H: _*"After you're done patching them both up, take a look at the sleeping Whimsicott and make sure whether she's alright as well. Once you're done, I'll take them all to my den."*_

R: "YOUR DEN!? You want to bring a human so close to the middle of our sanctuary, not to mention that insane Braixen!? What next, untie it!?"

H: _*"Yes, indeed. I'll be watching over them all, and so will Snorlax. What better place are you suggesting, Roselia?"*_

R: "Here! With the cave's entrance barricaded shut!"

H: _*"You seem to be vastly overestimating the danger a single exhausted, unarmed human could possibly pose."*_

R: "How dare you toy with everyone's safety like that, especially your own daughter's! What if-if more of them show up, armed, a-and start cat-" - The voice stopped all of a sudden, and the rose bush was glowing pink and not moving.

H: _*"Enough. I will see to him and his companions posing as little risk as possible during their stay while being treated fairly. They're being held here against their will, the least we can do is treat them to the same kindness we would anyone else. Murder would have more than likely only attracted human attention anyway, but even if more of them do show up in search for this missing one, the guardians will repel them as we already would."*_ \- The tall one looked around the cave and at everyone gathered, even me. And the rose thing didn't glow anymore.

H: _*"Am I making sense?"*_

After a couple moments the two big-but-not-very-big ones nodded together. The purple one nodded deeply and confidently, and the cream one very very fast. Even the big fat one nodded, very slowly.

The rose was REALLY angry at that point, so much so that it was shaking! Then it ran over the big one and ran out of the cave.

I jumped at the flash of pink light near me, it was scary so I looked around and the vine on Zephie's hand fell apart!

And then I looked and all the vines on Zephie fell apart too! I was happy but still quite scared, and then very scared when the tall one looked right at me again-

H: _*"We won't need that anymore. And now... you deserve rest as well, little one. I apologize for this mess, and I promise to do everything in my power to make it right. For now though... please Rest."*_

And then I fell asleep again, but at least it didn't feel as mean or forced as the last time...


End file.
